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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

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

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

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

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

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

"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

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

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

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

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