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People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

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

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

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

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager 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 spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

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

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

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