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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.

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