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People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff 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 pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions 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 collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."