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People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

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

Global Strict Policy Pushed

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

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 recognized that there is resistance," they stated.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced 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 persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."