Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after 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 engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
