People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
