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People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."

Significant Meeting

Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.

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

"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Moving Forward

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

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

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