People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
