VATICAN (OSV News): The Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will meet with victims of clergy sexual abuse during his trip November 6-17 to Latin America.
In an October 27 statement, the Vatican press office said that “several meetings” were planned with “victims of abuse by members of the clergy and the Church” during his visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
“These meetings reflect the pope’s desire to express his closeness to those who have suffered and continue to suffer from this violence, to build with them healing paths accessible to anyone in need, and to ensure that the Church is a safe and spiritually healthy place, one that lives and communicates the Gospel,” the statement read.
The announcement came one day after Red de Sobrevivientes Peru [Survivors Network Peru], a victims’ advocacy association, released an open letter from victims and survivors who suffered abuse by members of the now-suppressed lay movement, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae.
The association was founded by José Enrique Escardó, the first member of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae to denounce the abuse he suffered at the hands of the late Germán Doig, co-founder of Sodalitium.
Although the group thanked the late Pope Francis for suppressing the movement in 2025, it expressed concern that Pope Leo’s schedule included no meetings with victims.
Following the Vatican’s announcement, the group posted a statement on X [formerly Twitter] October 27, saying they were pleased that Pope Leo “will meet with victims of Church abuse.”
Although the Vatican has said Pope Leo will have several meetings with survivors, it did not specify when or in which of the three countries he is set to visit will those meetings take place.
