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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

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

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."