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People 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, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

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

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel 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."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."