🔗 Share this article

People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following 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, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."