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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

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

Personal Connection

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

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

Historic Encounter

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

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."