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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

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

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

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

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

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

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

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

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.

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

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."