People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
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 "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced 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 strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
