People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders 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 major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed 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 encounter, they expressed 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 relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
