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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Inherited Challenge

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

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

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved 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 same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."