🔗 Share this article

Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Inherited Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

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 meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection 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 feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."