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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

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

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

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

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 staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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