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

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest 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 "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

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

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

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

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.

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

They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."