People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism 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 meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
