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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem 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 changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

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

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

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

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

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."