🔗 Share this article

People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions 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 collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."