Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
