Paul KeenanPope meets with clerical abuse survivors in Rome
Survivors of clerical sexual abuse who met with Pope Francis in Rome this week have voiced praise for the Pontiff’s “sincerity” in meeting them and voiced hopes for real change in terms of child protection.
Following the July 7 meeting at Domus Sanctae Marthae, during which the Pope met privately with each of the six-strong delegation, including two Irish, survivors hailed the success of the encounter, the first such meeting for the Pope.
Marie Collins, herself a survivor and now a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors described the meeting as “very, very impressive”.
“The Pope heard what they had to say. There was no feeling of him being unapproachable or in some senior position. He was very human and very warm. He gave a great deal of time.”
Present at one private meeting to provide support for a survivor, Mrs Collins said of the Pope: “My feeling is he would put you at ease and is sincere.”
Expressing the hope that the Pope’s actions signal a new chapter in dealing with abuse carried out in the Catholic Church, Mrs Collins said: “We do have a chance of real change and I hope for more in the future.”
This was a sentiment echoed by survivor Marie Kane whose case featured in the Murphy Report and who chose to speak publicly for the first time of her abuse following the meeting.
“I’d like to think there will be change and I think there are small steps,” she told RTÉ. “I think the commission is a start and I know there is a lot of work going on in that to safeguard children in the Church.”
Stating that the Murphy Report was for her “the first vindication of my case”, Mrs Kane described her personal encounter with the Pope as “very important, very personal”.
“He received me very well, there was no time-watching, it ended naturally, which was really good. He was sorry for what happened, it came from the heart. I felt he was really sincere.”