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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest 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 "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

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

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

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

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, 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, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

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

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.

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

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