People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after 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 soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope 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 relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
