The key facts

  • Pope Leo XIV personally met with six abuse survivors in Peru — the meeting lasted more than an hour
  • They discussed changes in the church's mindset: listening to victims, seeking truth, supporting healing, and creating a safe environment
  • Thousands of young people welcomed the pontiff at Lima's National Stadium with flags from Latin American countries

A private meeting at the nunciature

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with six people who suffered abuse by clergy and church institutions in Peru. According to the Holy See press office, the meeting took place at the apostolic nunciature in Lima and lasted more than an hour. After a brief greeting in the nunciature's chapel, the pope spoke with each of the survivors individually and listened to their accounts of the suffering they had endured.

What the participants discussed

According to the statement from the Holy See press office, the participants discussed the need for a change in mindset within the church: listening to victims, seeking the truth, supporting healing processes, and creating a safe environment. The visit is part of the pontiff's trip across Latin America; earlier that same day, thousands of young people gathered at Lima's National Stadium to welcome him. The stands were filled with flags from countries of the region, including Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, and Ecuador, and the pope's return to Peru, where he served for many years as a missionary, was met with an emotional reception.