People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global 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 US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
