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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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," Hickey stated.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

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

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After 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 building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."