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

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

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

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

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.

Legacy Issue

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

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, 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 shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."