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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

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

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

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims 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 religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

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

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."