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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."