Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope 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 relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
