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People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

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

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."