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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

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

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

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

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.

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

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