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People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

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

"Survivors 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 eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

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

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

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

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