People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
