People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
