People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
