People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
