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Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Strict Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

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

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

Responsibility Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."