People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized 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 resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders 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 senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope 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 meeting, they expressed hope 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 build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
