🔗 Share this article

People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

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

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

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

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

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

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

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

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."