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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

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

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors 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 genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

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

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

Accountability Highlighted

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

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."