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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

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

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

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

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

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

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

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

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."