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People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

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

Personal Connection

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

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity 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 noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

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