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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach 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 recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

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

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

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

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."