Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
