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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

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

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."