People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
