People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff 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," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation 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.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
