People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
