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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting 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 sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

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

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

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

"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.

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