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People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

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

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

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

Inherited Issue

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

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

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

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.

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

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."