People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism 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 connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
