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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

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For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

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

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We realise 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 bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."