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

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged 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 pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."