People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
