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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

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

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement 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 participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."