People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
