People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing 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 already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
