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People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Issue

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

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

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

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

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

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

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

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

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.

They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."