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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption 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 collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

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

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."