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People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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