People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told 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 encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
