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People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

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

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral 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 moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

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

They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

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

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

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

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."