🔗 Share this article

Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."