Pope Leo XIV Meets with 11 Abuse Survivors in Peru and Argentina and Listens to their Testimonies

 Pope Leo XIV Meets with Abuse Survivors in Peru and Argentina

On November 12, Pope Leo XIV met privately for over an hour with six survivors of clerical and institutional abuse at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lima, Peru. According to the Holy See Press Office, the group included former members of organizations connected to Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana, the Peruvian Catholic movement that the Vatican dissolved in 2024.

Following a brief initial greeting in the chapel after 4:30 PM, the Pope spoke individually with each survivor to hear their accounts of suffering. Together, they discussed how to drive cultural reform within the Church by listening to victims, pursuing the truth, fostering healing, and committing to safe environments. Before departing, the Pope thanked the attendees for their testimonies, imparted his blessing, and extended his solidarity to all abuse survivors he could not meet in person.

This pre-scheduled gathering followed a similar private meeting held three days earlier in Buenos Aires. On November 9—just prior to addressing the World of Labor at the Catholic University of Argentina—Pope Leo XIV spent over an hour with five survivors of clerical and institutional abuse presented by the local Church. During that session, he listened to their personal stories and discussed their proposals for improving recovery pathways. He concluded the Buenos Aires meeting by blessing the group, thanking them for their witness of faith, and pledging to strengthen the Church's mechanisms for protection, welcome, and support.

Sources: https://www.vaticannews.va/it/papa/news/2026-11/papa-leone-xiv-incontro-vittime-abusi-peru.html

 https://www.vaticannews.va/it/papa/news/2026-11/papa-leone-xiv-incontro-vittime-abusi-argentina.html