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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report 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 revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope 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 strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."