Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism 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 building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
