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People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Challenge

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

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

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

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

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, they voiced 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 establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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