People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
