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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

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

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.

Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."