People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted 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," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, 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 characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
