People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
