Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral 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 different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
