People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
