Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."