Pope met with 6 abuse victims in Peru

According to the statement made by the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV met for more than an hour at the Papal Representation in Lima with 6 people, some of whom were in groups affiliated with the "Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana" movement, which was dissolved in the past, and who were abused by the clergy and members of church institutions in the country.

The Pope personally met with each of the victims and listened to their pain and stories.

It was shared that the Pope exchanged ideas with these people "on how to encourage a change of mentality through a commitment to listening to the victims, seeking the truth, healing processes and creating safe environments."

In the Vatican's statement, it was stated that at the end of the meeting, the Pope thanked the victims for their testimonies, expressed his support for them and other abuse victims whom he could not meet, and blessed the participants.

Addressing Peruvian bishops in his speech at the chapel of the Archbishop's Palace in Lima on the second day of his visit to Peru, Pope Leo XIV called on them to respond to cases of abuse "with a more determined commitment than ever to the establishment of a preventive culture with truth, justice, forgiveness, reparation and the protection of the most vulnerable against these crimes."

Child abuse cases within the church

According to national media, Peru has not produced any reports on the extent of child abuse cases within the Catholic Church. For this reason, despite the scandals that have shaken the institution for years, there is no clear data on this subject.

The most trending one among these was the religious structure called Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana, which was founded in Peru and was dissolved by Pope Francis in January 2025 following investigations into allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

According to the database of the US-based Bishop Accountability organization, at least 77 priests, religious officials and lay members of the Peruvian Catholic Church have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against children in recent years.

Stating that the number of complaints received by the Vatican regarding abuse crimes committed within the dissolved Sodalicio structure has exceeded 100, the commissioner of the Papal See (Santa Sede) is responsible for liquidating the organization and other affiliated organizations and conducting investigations in order to pay compensation to the victims.

According to the data shared by Sodalicio as of April 2025, approximately 6.5 million dollars in compensation was paid for a total of 98 files, including 37 cases of sexual abuse, 20 of which were against adults, 17 of which were against children aged 11-17, and 61 cases within the scope of physical and psychological abuse, abuse of authority or serious violation of internal rules of conduct.