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

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

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

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, they expressed 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 building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."