People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own 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 giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
