People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
