People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
