🔗 Share this article

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

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they told the Pope 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, they expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."