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

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

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

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."