People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism 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 building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
