Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
