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People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

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

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

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

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."

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

Canon Law Changes

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

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

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."