Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, 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 felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
