Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
