People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "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.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, 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," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
