People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
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 already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "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 future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
