People who experienced 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 decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized 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.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
