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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

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

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

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

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal 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 making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff 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 encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."