Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
