🔗 Share this article

Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."