People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
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 Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
