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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.

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

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.

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