People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
