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Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

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For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed 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. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.

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

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

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

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.

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