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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

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

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

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

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

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."