People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"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."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
