People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
