🔗 Share this article

Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, 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 "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."