Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
