People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
