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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

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

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

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

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

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