People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
