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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

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

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

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

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."