People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity 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 report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
