People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
