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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

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

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

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

"Survivors 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, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

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

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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