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Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

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

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents 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 realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."