People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest 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. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism 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 relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move 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 alter how the story ends - he valued that."
