People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable 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 engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope 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 strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
