Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
