People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy 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 Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen 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 believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
