🔗 Share this article

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

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

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

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

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

Historic Meeting

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

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

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

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.

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

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