People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
