Leo XIV meets six abuse victims in Lima: "a change of mentality" that begins with listening

Leo XIV met in Lima with six victims of abuse committed by members of the clergy and of Church institutions in Peru. The Holy See Press Office announced the meeting, as reported by Vatican News: it took place on the afternoon of Thursday 12 November, shortly after 4:30 p.m. local time, at the Apostolic Nunciature, on the second day of the Peruvian leg of the apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

Who they were. According to the Press Office, they are six people who suffered abuse by members of the clergy and of Church institutions in the country. Some of them in the past belonged to groups linked to the Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana.

The meeting. After a brief greeting in the nunciature's chapel, the Pope met each of them personally, listening to their stories of suffering and their pain. With them he reflected on how to foster "a change of mentality" through listening to victims, the search for truth, healing processes and the commitment to creating safe environments (our translation from Spanish).

The farewell. As he said goodbye, Leo XIV thanked them for the "valuable testimony" they had given, expressing his closeness to them and to all the victims of abuse whom it had not been possible to meet. Before taking his leave, he gave his blessing to those present. In all, the meeting lasted more than an hour.

The context of the day. A few hours earlier, in his address to the bishops of Peru, the Pope had spoken of "a reality that has caused us so much pain: the abuse committed by members of the clergy or in church settings", asking for a response "as Jesus would, with truth, with justice, with forgiveness, with reparation" and with "an ever more decisive commitment to a culture of prevention and protection" of the most vulnerable. In the evening, the Pope went to Lima's Estadio Nacional for the vigil with young people and university students.

What we don't know. The Press Office did not release the names of the people he met or further details of the conversations. At the time of publication, the statement does not yet appear among the entries of the 12 November Bulletin.

Sources: Vatican News (ES), Holy See Press Office, Bulletin of 12 November (B0905, address to the bishops).