Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity 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 noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond 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 feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
