People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
