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

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

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

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