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People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

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

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, 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 described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.

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

Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."