🔗 Share this article

People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged 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," they stated.

Inherited Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused 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 collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged 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 Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

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

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."