Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
