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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, 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 account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."