People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. 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 Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story 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 believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
