People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
