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Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

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 certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Inherited Issue

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

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

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For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey 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 relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."