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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

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

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

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

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.

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