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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Legacy Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.

Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."