Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
