People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
