Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff 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 voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
