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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

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

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing 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 US.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

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

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.

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

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol 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 consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced hope 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 connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."