People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter 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 sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented 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 acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
