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

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate 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 common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."