People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
