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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

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

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

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."