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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, they expressed 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 connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."