People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
