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People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach 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 Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled 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 "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

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

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

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

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."