People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" 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 feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
