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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."