Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization 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 minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
