People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
