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People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."