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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 Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

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

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

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

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

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

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