People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed 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 choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged 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," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"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 build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
