People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
