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People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

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

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

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

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk 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 happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.

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