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

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

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

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

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed 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, they voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."