People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
