Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
