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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

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

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

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

Church Regulations Reforms

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

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."