Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group 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 recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
