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People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff 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 resistance," they stated.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

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

After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."