People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted 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 story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled 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 resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start 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 understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
