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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended 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 woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

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