Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
