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People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust 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 eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise 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 build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.

They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."