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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, 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 "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

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

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."