People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged 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 "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
