Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
