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People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

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

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

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

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

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

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

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process 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 "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."