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

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

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

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

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Issue

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

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

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For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

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

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.

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