Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
