People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
