People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, 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.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope 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 Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they 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 concludes - he appreciated that."
