People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
