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

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

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

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

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

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."