People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
