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People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

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

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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