🔗 Share this article

Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.

"We realise 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 move in the right direction," Hickey commented.

Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."