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People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Strict Policy 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 minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

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

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

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

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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