Survivors of Catholic Religious Sex Abuse Express Hope Following Encounter with the Pontiff

People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff 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 inaction 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 dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

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