People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
