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People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed 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 facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.

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