People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy 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 pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process 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 senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."