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People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Approach Advocated

The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, 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 coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

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

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

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