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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The organization 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 already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

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For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist 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," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

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

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

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

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."