Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, 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 listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
