People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
