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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

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

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

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

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.

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

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.

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

They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."