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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

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

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

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

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

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 added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."