People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey 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 build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
