People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors 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, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
