People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared 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 want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience 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," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
