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People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

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

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

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

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates 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 religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

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

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative 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 encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."