People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized 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 "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage 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 be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
