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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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 acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own 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 giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."