🔗 Share this article

People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.

Legacy Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."