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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol 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 victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.

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