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

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

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

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."