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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

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

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 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 described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, 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 commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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