Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
