🔗 Share this article

People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

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

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

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

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol 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 church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.

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