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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide 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 United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

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

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

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

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.

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

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."