People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global 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 Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
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 story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
