🔗 Share this article

Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

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

Canon Law Changes

The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."