Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" 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 took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
