Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
