People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand 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 continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
