Pope Leo Listens to Abuse Victims in Meeting in Peru

Pope Leo 14 met with six victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic clergy on Thursday in Lima, Peru. It was the pontiff’s second meeting with survivors during a 12-day trip to South America. At the time, he discussed how the Church can better listen to victims of abuse, the Vatican said.

Leon, the first Peruvian citizen to lead the Catholic Church, is on an exciting return visit to Peru, which runs until November 16. It is the last stage of a trip through three countries that has broken public records. The Chicago-born pope has already met with survivors during several of his overseas visits in an effort to help restore the church's image after abuse scandals tarnished its reputation.

Meeting lasted more than an hour

The meeting lasted more than an hour, a Vatican statement said. “The Pope met with each person individually, hearing their stories of suffering and pain,” the statement said. “Together, they reflected on how to promote a change of mentality through listening to the victims, the search for the truth, paths to healing and commitment to creating safe environments,” he added.

Leo served as a missionary in Peru for about 20 years and was bishop of the northern city of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. The Vatican said on Thursday that some of the survivors Leo met in Peru were former members of Sodalitium. The source did not detail how many of the six participants belonged to this group.

Review of the meeting in Buenos Aires

The pope, who also visited Uruguay and Argentina on his trip, met with five survivors of abuse at Buenos Aires on Monday. An international group of survivors, the Ending Clergy Abuse, criticized the meeting for not including more survivors, including at least 20 people who suffered abuse in Argentina in a deaf children’s institute, in a notorious case.

The Vatican, which does not normally discuss how the pope’s meetings with the victims are organized, claiming their privacy, has not provided further information on how the meeting in Buenos Aires was organized. The source did not detail whether the group Ending Clergy Abuse had direct contact with the Vatican following the criticism.

Record travel through South America

The journey of Leo 14 through South America began in Uruguay, passed through Argentina and ends in Peru. In each country, the pontiff drew crowds, breaking audience records, according to the Vatican. The visit to Peru has special significance for Leo, who lived and worked in the country for two decades before becoming pope.

The commitment to listening to victims of abuse has been a hallmark of the Leo papacy. Since taking office, he has met survivors on several international trips, seeking to rebuild trust in the Church. The meeting in Lima reinforces this agenda, but also exposes the tensions over how the Church deals with abuse cases.

For the faithful and the general public, the meeting in Peru signals an attempt to change the Church’s stance towards the victims. Still, the criticisms from the group Ending Clergy Abuse show that there is a long way to go. The pope is expected to remain in Peru until November 16, when he ends his journey through South America.

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