People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully 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 clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
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 Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism 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 building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey 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."
