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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

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

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

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

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

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

They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."