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Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal 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 abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

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

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

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

They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

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

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

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

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."