Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter 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 dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
