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People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Accountability Emphasized

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

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."