People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
