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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

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

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

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

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.

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