Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized 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 resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
