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People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

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

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they informed the Pope 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 voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."