🔗 Share this article

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

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

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted 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 resistance," Hickey stated.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."