Pope Leo mulls over changes in how Church treats abuse victims in Peru meeting

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Pope Leo meets abuse victims in Peru and discusses how the Church can better support survivors, the Vatican says. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Pope Leo has met with survivors during several of his foreign visits, in an effort to help repair the Church’s standing after abuse scandals tarnished its reputation.

LIMA – Pope Leo met six victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy on Nov 12 in Lima in his second meeting with survivors during a 12-day trip to South America and discussed how the Church can better listen to abuse victims, the Vatican said.

Leo, the first Peruvian citizen to lead the Catholic Church, is on an emotional return visit to Peru through Nov 16 on the last leg of a three-country tour that has broken crowd records.

The Pope, originally from Chicago, has met with survivors during several of his foreign visits, in an effort to help repair the Church’s standing after abuse scandals tarnished its reputation.

The meeting on Nov 12 lasted more than an hour, said a Vatican statement.

“The Pope met with each person individually, listening to their stories of suffering and pain,” it said.

“Together, they reflected on how to foster a change in mindset through listening to victims, seeking the truth, paths toward healing, and a commitment to creating safe environments,” it said.

Leo served as a missionary in Peru for about 20 years and was the bishop of the northern city of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023.

Some survivors credit him with pushing for the Vatican to dissolve the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Peru-based Catholic community that faced allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse inside the group. The late Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, dissolved it in 2025.

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