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People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

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

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.

They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."