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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, 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," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.

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

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."