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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Challenge

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

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

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

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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