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

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

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

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently 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 want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, 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 hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told 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, they expressed hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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