People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
