People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
