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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

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

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

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

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

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

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

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