Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise 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 persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
