🔗 Share this article

People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting 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 soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff 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 the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down 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 "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."