People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged 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 stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
