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People who endured 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 Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

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For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

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

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.

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