Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership 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 permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
