Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced 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 building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
