Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
