Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."