Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
