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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

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

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

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

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

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."