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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

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

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

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

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

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

The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.

"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 strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."