People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
