Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they 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 continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They 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 appreciated that."
