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People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the Pope 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, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

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

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