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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

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

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

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

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

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

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct 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 cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope 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 building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."