Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
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 child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
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 sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
