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

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they informed the pontiff 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 expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."