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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Inherited Issue

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

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

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned 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 "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

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

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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