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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

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

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

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

Inherited Challenge

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

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.

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