People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove 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 "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
