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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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