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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

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

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

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

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which includes victims 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 religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

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

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."