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Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

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

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."