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

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

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Challenge

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

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

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

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."