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People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.

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

Legacy Challenge

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

Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

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

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

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

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the encounter, they voiced hope 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 relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."