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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Issue

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

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest 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 expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

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

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

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

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed 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 encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."