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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

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

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization 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 interested in looking at it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

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

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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