People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation 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 end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
