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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

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

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise 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 build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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