People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted 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 eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."