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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."