People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
