People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
