People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, 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.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
