Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope 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 relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."