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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

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

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

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the Pope 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 meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

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