People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of 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 initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
