People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
