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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

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

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."