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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

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

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption 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 establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

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

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.

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