People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy 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 sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down 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 "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
