People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group 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 already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed 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 work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
