Victims of sex abuse by members of the Catholic clergy have expressed hope after meeting Pope Leo at the Vatican for the first time.
Gemma Hickey, board president of Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA Global), told the BBC that the Pope’s willingness to meet with them so early in his papacy “spoke volumes.” The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy, similar to one adopted in the US, which would mandate the permanent removal of any priest who admits or is proven to have sexually abused a child.
Hickey shared that Pope Leo acknowledged the existence of “resistance in some parts of the world” to implementing such a strict policy. Pope Leo, who assumed his role in May, is now tasked with addressing an issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades, with past Vatican efforts to eradicate it proving insufficient.
The article notes that Pope Francis previously attempted to tackle the problem by convening a summit on sexual abuse within the Church and enacting laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse. However, persistent challenges remain.
A recent Vatican-commissioned report offered a candid critique of Church leadership, highlighting how victims and survivors consistently reported a lack of accountability for bishops and superiors, with many historical cases allegedly being concealed.
Hickey acknowledged that ECA Global also encountered resistance to their zero-tolerance proposal, stating, “We were all being realistic.” For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the personal impact of abuse by a priest who was subsequently moved between parishes fuels their advocacy for a worldwide policy change.
Describing the meeting as “historic” and “a big step for all of us,” Hickey expressed optimism, stating, “Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him. We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse.”
The meeting involved six board members and another representative from ECA, a global coalition of victims and advocates representing survivors from over 30 countries. They met with the Pope in his Vatican office, engaging in a discussion that lasted an hour, exceeding the scheduled 20 minutes. Hickey reported that the Pope was primarily a listener during the session.
Hickey described the Pope as “quite empathetic” when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada, and “tender” when listening to Hickey’s own experiences. The first North American Pope was characterized as “very humble, funny, [and] very down to earth.”
“Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn’t feel like he was giving us lip service. I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us,” Hickey added.
The group plans to present Pope Leo with documents and insights from experts to support their push for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy through changes in canon law. Hickey noted that the Pope “seemed interested in looking at it.”
The Vatican’s 100-page child protection report emphasized the “importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence.” It also highlighted the “urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up was repeatedly stressed” by victims and survivors.
Furthermore, the report mentioned concerns about victims not being informed about the handling of their abuse reports and the need for public disclosure when Church officials resign or are removed due to abuse or negligence.
Hickey conveyed to the Pope at the meeting’s outset, “This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us.” Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress, stating, “We realise it’s not something that’s going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction.”
Hickey concluded by sharing that they told Pope Leo, “just because it’s a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends – he appreciated that.”