People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
