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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.

Inherited Challenge

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

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

Personal Connection

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

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

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

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

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

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, Hickey expressed 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 relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."