People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue 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 changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared 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 collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced 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 persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
