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

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.

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

They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."