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

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

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For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

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

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

They added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."