People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
