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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

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

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

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

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.

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

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