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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

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

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

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

"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.

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

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