🔗 Share this article

Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

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

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff 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 Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.

Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."