People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
