People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
