People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
