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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

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

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

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