Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel 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 Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
