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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

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

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

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

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

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