People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
