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People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Issue

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

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members 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 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

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

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."