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People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Inherited Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, 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," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process 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 negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told 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."

Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

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