People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
