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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed 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 engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

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

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist 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 aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

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

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."