People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"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 continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
