People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
