Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents 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 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 strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
