Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope 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 engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start 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 future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
