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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

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

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy 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 leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

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

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents 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 connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."