Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide 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 Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
