Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced 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 relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
