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 the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff 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.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, 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," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
