Pope Leo XIV meets clerical abuse victims in Peru

Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, met six victims of clerical abuse in Lima, Peru, on Thursday. Some were linked to Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), a lay Catholic society that was once powerful and has since been disbanded. The meeting took place during his three-nation Latin American tour and matters because the Church is again pledging accountability toward survivors.

The US-born pope calls Peru his homeland. He worked there for nearly two decades as a missionary and bishop, so he knows the scandal well. The Vatican said Leo spent more than an hour with the victims, listening to each one individually and thanking them for their testimony. Together they discussed how to change attitudes: listening to victims, seeking the truth, pursuing healing and building safe environments.

What SCV was

SCV was a lay society founded in the 1970s and widespread across Latin America. Pope Francis, Leo's predecessor, shut it down in 2025 after years of allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse, as well as corruption. Before becoming pope, Robert Francis Prevost was the bishop designated to hear SCV victims, who say he supported their claims.

Call to make amends

Earlier on Thursday, addressing bishops, the 71-year-old pope spoke of the pain caused by clerical abuse and said the Church must make amends and foster a culture of prevention and protection. In April 2026, the Vatican announced plans for a listening channel for victims in Lima and for using assets seized from the movement to compensate them. Renzo Orbegozo, a 50-year-old victim, told AFP that survivors were seeking comprehensive reparation.

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

The rest of the visit

Later the pope addressed some 40,000 people, criticised "machismo" and said violence against women wounds all of humanity. He also met about 60,000 young people at Lima's national stadium. During six days in Peru he will visit Cuzco and Chiclayo, where he was bishop. The trip comes weeks after surgery for lung cancer.