Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
