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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope 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 "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

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