People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work 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 spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced 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 establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
