People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
