People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
