Pope asks Peruvian bishops to respond to abuses with justice and redress

O Pope today asked Peruvian bishops to respond to the abuses “with truth, justice, forgiveness, reparation and an increasingly determined commitment to a culture of prevention and protection of the weakest” of these crimes.

In a speech given in the chapel of the Arcebispal Palace of Lima, on the second day of his visit to Peru, Leo XIV quoted Peruvian saints, such as Saint Martin of Porres and Saint John Macias, to underline: “Teach us, with their humility, to recognize Christ in the little ones.”.

“ With these saints, we also learn that charity begins with a simple gesture, attentive listening, and remind us that no person can be measured by their prestige, origin or social position ", he said.

He wanted to address what he defined as “a reality that caused so much pain: the abuses perpetrated by members of the clergy or in the ecclesial context”, this being the first mention of these crimes during his trip to South America.

“ We must respond as Jesus would: with truth, justice, forgiveness, reparation and an increasingly determined commitment to a culture of prevention and protection of the weakest in the face of these crimes”, he defended, comparing this mission to the difficult “Inca Way”, an old network of roads that mainly crosses the Andes region.

The Peruvian Church has not produced reports on the extent of cases of sexual abuse of minors within it, so no exact figures are known, despite the years of scandals that have shaken it.

The case of greatest impact was that of the Sodalician of Christian Life, an ultra-conservative Catholic organization founded in Peru and dissolved by Pope Francis in January 2025, after investigations into sexual, physical, psychological and economic abuse.

Leo XIV has planned, as he did in Argentina, a meeting in Lima with victims of abuse, which may take place today; however, it is not known who the people will participate, nor has it been clarified by the Italian Episcopal Conference who chose them.

On the other hand, according to a database presented by the American organization Bishop Accountability, at least 77 consecrated priests, religious and lay people of the Peruvian Catholic Church have been publicly pointed out by alleged sexual abuse of minors in recent decades.

There are already over 100 complaints of abuses committed in the extinct Sodalício, indicated the Vatican Commissioner in charge of investigations and liquidating this organization, as well as others linked to it, with the aim of indemnifying the victims.

By April 2025, the Sodalician of Christian Life indicated having compensated 98 cases of abuse, amounting to about 6.5 million dollars, 37 of which sexual abuse — 20 of adults and 17 of minors aged between 11 and 17 years — while the other 61 cases involved physical or psychological abuse, abuse of authority or serious violation of the internal code of conduct.

In his speech dedicated to the challenges facing Peru, the Pope also denounced the persistence in the society of a “moxitist mentality” and violence against women.

“ It is sad to note the persistence of a sexist mentality that is manifested in the absence of the father of family life, in abuse and violence against women”, lamented Leo XIV.

The head of the Catholic Church, who a few weeks ago was operated to remove a lump in a lung that proved to be cancerous, arrived on Wednesday in Peru, a country where he lived for almost 20 years, for the last stage of an intense 12-day journey through South America, which has already included passages through Uruguay and Argentina.

During his six-day visit to the country, the Pope will go to Chiclayo, in the north, before heading to Cusco, the Andes, and Pucallpa, in the Amazon, where he will meet representatives of the indigenous communities.