Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
