People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
