People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, 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 described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors 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 eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
