Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting 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 soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff 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, 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 bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
