People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted 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 account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."