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Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

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

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

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."