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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred 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 common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

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

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"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 strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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