People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged 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," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
