People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed 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."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
