Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed 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 early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope 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 remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing 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 appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism 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 strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."