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People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

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

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

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

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed 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."

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

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

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."