People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach 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 "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
