People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, 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 believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
