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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

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

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.

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

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