Pope in Peru says Church must make 'amends' to abuse victims

Detailed summary

Pope Leo XIV, addressing bishops in Peru on Thursday, described the "pain" caused by Catholic clerical abuse and said the Church must make amends to victims and protect others.

Pope Leo XIV, addressing bishops in Peru on Thursday, described the "pain" caused by Catholic clerical abuse and said the Church must make amends to victims and protect others.

The American-born pope is on a nostalgic return visit to the nation he calls his "homeland," and knows the abuse scandal well from the nearly two decades he worked in Peru as a missionary and bishop.

Clerical abuse, a global scourge, was "a reality that has caused us so much pain," the 71-year-old said.

The Church must respond "with truth, justice, forgiveness, making amends and an ever more resolute commitment to fostering a culture of prevention and protection for the weakest," he added.

The most high-profile case in Peru is the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a powerful lay movement that Leo's predecessor Francis shut down in 2025 due to allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse, as well as corruption.

Before he was elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost was the bishop designated to hear from victims of the influential Sodalitium Christianae Vitae.

In April 2026, the Vatican announced plans to set up a "listening channel" in Lima for the victims, and use assets seized from the lay movement to compensate them.

Renzo Orbegozo, a 50-year-old victim, told AFP the victims were seeking "comprehensive reparation."

"Many require psychological and medical support, as well as social reintegration -- all of which, ultimately, translates into financial assistance," he said.

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