Pope Leo XIV meets five clergy abuse survivors in Buenos Aires, pledges stronger protection

Pope Leo XIV meets five clergy abuse survivors in Buenos Aires, pledges stronger protection.

Pope Leo XIV met privately on Monday afternoon in Buenos Aires with five people who were abused by members of the clergy and Church institutions in Argentina, the Holy See Press Office said.

The meeting lasted more than an hour. According to the Vatican's statement, the Pope spoke with each survivor individually and listened to “the painful stories of their experiences,” as well as their proposals for strengthening paths toward healing within the Church. The survivors were introduced to him by the local Church.

Through them, the Vatican said, the Pope also addressed “the other victims whom it was not possible to meet,” expressing his closeness and his “desire to strengthen pathways of protection, goodness, welcome, and accompaniment within the Church.” At the end, he greeted the group together, imparted his Apostolic Blessing and thanked them for their witness of faith.

Reuters reported that the meeting is the first of several expected encounters with survivors during the Pope's 12-day, three-country journey through South America, which runs until Nov. 17. Leo, the first pope born in the United States, has met survivors on several of his foreign trips as the Church works to rebuild trust damaged by abuse scandals.

Afterward, the Pope traveled to the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina for a meeting with representatives of social movements and the world of work. Earlier on Monday he visited the Don Orione care center in Claypole, south of the capital.