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Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Significant Encounter

Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Changes

The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

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

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.

Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."