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

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."