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People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."

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

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.

"We understand 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 persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."