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

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."