Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
