Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
