Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, 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 stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"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 bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
