Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand 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 step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
