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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the problem 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 they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

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

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

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

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

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is advocating that revisions 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 seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, they expressed optimism 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 building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."