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People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first 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 spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

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

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

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

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "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 conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.

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