People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation 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 church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"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 relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
