People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, 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 abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
