People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual 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 shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced 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 relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
