People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
