Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
