Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
