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

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

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

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

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

Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

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

Path Ahead

The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

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

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."