People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
