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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, 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 issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

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

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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