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People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff 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 negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."