🔗 Share this article

Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

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

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

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

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced 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 establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."