People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
