People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told 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."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
