People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
