Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
