Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," 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 story concludes - he valued that."
