Pope meets abuse victims in Peru, says Church must make 'amends'

LIMA: Pope Leo XIV met six victims of clerical abuse in Peru on Thursday, including some linked to the once-powerful and now-disbanded Catholic society, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae.

The US-born pope is making a nostalgic return to the nation he calls his "homeland" and knows the abuse scandal well from the nearly two decades he spent working in Peru as a missionary and bishop.

Leo spent more than an hour with the victims, meeting "each person individually, listening to their stories of suffering and their pain", and "thanked them for their invaluable testimony", the Vatican said.

Together, "they reflected on how to foster a shift in mindset – by listening to victims, seeking the truth, pursuing paths towards healing, and committing to the creation of safe environments", it said.

Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), a lay society founded in the 1970s that was widespread in Latin America, was shut down in 2025 by Leo's predecessor, Francis, after years of allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse, as well as corruption.

Before he was elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost was the bishop designated to hear from SCV victims, who said he was supportive of their claims.

'Pain'

In an address to bishops earlier on Thursday, Leo described the "pain" caused by Catholic clerical abuse and said the Church must make "amends" to victims and foster "a culture of prevention and protection".

Clerical abuse, a global scourge, was "a reality that has caused us so much pain", the 71-year-old said.

In April 2026, the Vatican announced plans to set up a "listening channel" in Lima for victims and use assets seized from the lay movement to compensate them.

Renzo Orbegozo, a 50-year-old victim, told AFP they were seeking "comprehensive reparation".

"Many require psychological and medical support, as well as social reintegration – all of which, ultimately, translates into financial assistance," he said.

On the eve of the pope's South America tour, the US-based non-profit Bishop Accountability presented a list in Lima of 77 members of the Peruvian clergy it said had been publicly accused of abusing minors.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of the group, called on Leo to implement "zero tolerance" of abusers.

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'Knows Peruvians' needs'

The head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics has not shied away from tackling sensitive political and social topics during his three-nation Latin American tour.

Pilgrim Pedro Campos said Leo was "a member of our country who... knows the needs of all Peruvians".

In a speech later to some 40,000 people on the challenges facing Peruvians, the pontiff criticised "machismo" attitudes and said violence against women was "a reality that wounds all of humanity".

There was no excuse for "an unequal sharing of domestic responsibilities or the subordination of one spouse to the other", he said.

Chicago-born Leo was given a raucous reception by crowds lining the streets, chanting his name.

Thousands of people – including children dressed as the pope or as bishops – lined up for a glimpse of the pope as he drove by in the popemobile.

'Steep ascents'

The intense trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru comes just weeks after the pope had surgery for lung cancer, but he shows no sign of flagging.

In his speech, Leo made fond references to Peru's landscape and culture, telling the Catholic clergy to think of their mission as a difficult but rewarding walk, like the path that leads to Machu Picchu.

He compared the Catholic mission to the "steep ascents" of the Inca Trail in Peru.

The trail, an ancient network of routes that traverses much of the Andes, "is not to be walked alone", he cautioned.

During his tenure in Peru, Prevost worked in poor and remote northern areas and remained close to local communities during periods of hardship, visiting them sometimes on horseback.

"Walking together fosters communion," he said.

Six days in Peru will see Leo travel from the deep Amazon to the high Andes. He will visit Cuzco, at an elevation of more than 3,400 metres, which will test his recovery from lung surgery.

He will also make an emotional return to Chiclayo, the northern city where he was bishop for a decade.