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

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

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

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

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

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."