People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting 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 papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "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 Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
