People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
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 abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
