People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.
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."
