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People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

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

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

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

The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

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

"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."