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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach 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 child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope 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 the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

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

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

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

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.

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

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