Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope 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 encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
