Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
