People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty 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 globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
