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

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

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For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

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

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced 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 establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."