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People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

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

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

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

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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