People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition 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 Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope 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 continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
