Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
