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People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

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

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.

Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."