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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

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

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

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

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

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

Accountability Highlighted

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

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

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