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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach 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 the representative.

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

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

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

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Emphasized

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

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."