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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

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

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

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."