People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
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," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise 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 bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
