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People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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 resistance," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

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

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."