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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

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

The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "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 worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."