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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

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

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

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

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

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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