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

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged 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," they stated.

Inherited Issue

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

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

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For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

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 misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."