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

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, 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 taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, 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 later transferred between different parishes.

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

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."