The Vatican announced on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV will hold meetings with survivors of clergy sexual abuse during his upcoming tour of Latin America. The papal visit, scheduled for November 6-17, will include stops in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. While the Vatican did not specify the exact dates or locations for these encounters, the statement noted that “several meetings are planned,” indicating that the pope will engage with multiple groups or individuals.
This initiative follows recent similar actions by the pope, who met with abuse survivors in Spain this past June and more recently in France. The Vatican has moved toward a policy of confirming these meetings ahead of time, shifting away from the previous practice of announcing them only after they had occurred. According to the official statement, these meetings are intended to demonstrate the pope's solidarity with victims of violence. The Vatican stated that the goal is to work with survivors to establish paths toward healing and to ensure the church remains a safe and healthy environment that reflects the Gospel.
Pope Leo XIV possesses personal experience with the impact of abuse, having served as a missionary priest in Peru for two decades. During his time there, he acted as a designated bishop within the Peruvian bishops' conference to hear testimonies from victims of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae movement. This movement, which was described as influential but abusive, was subsequently suppressed by Pope Francis in 2025, a decision supported by the work of the then-Cardinal Robert Prevost. The upcoming trip to Argentina, the pope’s home country, is particularly significant as victims there have long been calling for the Vatican to take action regarding cases in which the pope was personally involved. Despite undergoing lung cancer surgery on October 13, the Vatican has confirmed that the papal tour will proceed as originally scheduled.
6-17 trip is going ahead as planned despite Leo's Oct.
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