The Vatican has announced that Pope Leo XIV will hold meetings with victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church during his trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, scheduled from November 6 to 17. In a statement, the Vatican press office noted that these meetings reflect the Pope's desire to express his closeness to all who have been affected by and continue to suffer from this violence.
The itinerary includes Uruguay from November 6 to 8, followed by Argentina from November 8 to 11, and concludes in Peru before November 17. According to Holy See information, in Peru, the Pope intends to compensate victims of actions by a Catholic movement based in the country.
Previously, the predecessor of the current Pope, Pope Francis, ordered the dissolution of the ultra-conservative movement Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV) in Peru after systematic cases of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse by some of its leaders were uncovered.
Peru is a country where Pope Leo XIV spent a significant part of his life; he first visited it as a missionary in the 1980s and served as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. The current Pope, who holds Peruvian citizenship, has repeatedly advocated for the Church's duty to provide justice and compensation to victims of violence, as well as to work on crime prevention.
Despite the South American trip taking place a month after his operation to remove a lung tumor, it is motivated by Pope Leo XIV's desire to 'create paths to healing together with victims of sexual abuse, accessible to anyone in need,' as stated in the Vatican message. The statement also emphasizes that the Pope's visits to these South American countries will proceed according to plan and are aimed at ensuring that the Church remains a safe and spiritually healthy place that lives and preaches the Gospel.
During his trip to France in October, Pope Leo XIV met with various victims of sexual abuse committed by French clergy and acknowledged that some organizations within the Catholic Church 'sometimes committed systemic violence.' Furthermore, in June, during his visit to Spain, where he also met with victims of sexual abuse, the Pope promised 'additional efforts' and a 'more effective response' to this crime within the Church.
