People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
