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

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction 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 engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."