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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

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

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they told 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."

After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."