An hour with survivors

On Thursday, Pope Leo XIV, who leads 1.4 billion Catholics and is on a three-nation Latin American tour covering Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, sat down with six victims of clerical abuse in Peru, among them people connected to the once-influential and now dissolved Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The encounter took place as part of his pope Peru visit, a nostalgic return to the country he calls his "homeland" after nearly two decades there as a missionary and bishop.

According to the Vatican, the pope spent more than an hour with the group:

• •He met each person individually and listened to accounts of suffering and pain.
• •He thanked the victims for their testimony.
• •The discussions covered listening to victims, seeking truth, paths to healing and how to create safe environments.
• •The Vatican described the meeting as a reflection on how to foster a shift in mindset.

Sodalitium Christianae Vitae and Leo's past role

Sodalitium Christianae Vitae is a lay society founded in the 1970s that spread widely across Latin America. Pope Francis, Leo's predecessor, shut it down in 2025 following years of allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse as well as corruption.

Leo's connection to the case predates his pontificate. Before his election, Robert Francis Prevost was the bishop designated to hear from SCV victims, who later said he was supportive of their claims. In April 2026, the Vatican announced a "listening channel" in Lima for victims and said assets seized from the lay movement would be used to compensate them.

'A reality that has caused us so much pain'

Later on Thursday, in an address to bishops, the 71-year-old pope turned to the wider question of clerical abuse. He called it, in his words, a reality that has caused the Church much pain, and said the Church must make amends and foster a culture of prevention and protection.

Demands and context around the visit

The meeting followed public pressure on the pope. On the eve of the tour, the group 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 Bishop Accountability, called on Leo to implement "zero tolerance" of abusers.
• •Renzo Orbegozo, a 50-year-old victim, told AFP victims were seeking comprehensive reparation.
• •Orbegozo said many victims need psychological and medical support as well as social reintegration, which in practice translates into financial assistance.

The Vatican's April 2026 announcement set up the "listening channel" in Lima and committed assets seized from the dissolved lay movement to compensating victims.