People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following 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 meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
