🔗 Share this article

People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."