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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

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

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims 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 Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

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

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

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, 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 added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."