People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter 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 early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
