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People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged 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 pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

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

They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

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

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey 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, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."