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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged 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 Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought 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 receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

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

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."