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

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

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

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

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Multiple 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, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

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

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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