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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

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

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

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

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

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."