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Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

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

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

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

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

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

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, 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 relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."