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People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

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

Inherited Issue

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

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended 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 account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

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

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."