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People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

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

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared 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 want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document 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 noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.

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