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People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

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For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

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

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

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

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."