People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "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 conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
