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People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

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

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

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

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

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation 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 "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."