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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

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

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize 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 advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate 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 be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."