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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group 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 approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, 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.

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table 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 group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.

They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."