🔗 Share this article

Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned 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 "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."