Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized 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.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
