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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 Vatican.

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

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, Hickey voiced 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 building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."