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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope 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 added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."