Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy 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 the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
