🔗 Share this article

People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."