🔗 Share this article

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

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

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.

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

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."