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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial 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 soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

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

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

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

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, 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 work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

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

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."