People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
