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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

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

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."