Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
