People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads 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 commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise 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," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
