People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
