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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 Holy See.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For the representative, who prefers 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 subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

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

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."