Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared 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 voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
