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

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

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

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

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

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

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

Deeply Felt Link

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

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

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled 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 "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

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

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

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