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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."