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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

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

Historic Encounter

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

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

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

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

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."