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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

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

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, 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 canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened 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 Canada.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, 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 felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement 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 engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.

"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 strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."