Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
