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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral 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 establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

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

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."