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

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

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 already been adopted in the United States.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.

Legacy Challenge

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

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

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

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.

"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."