Pope Leo XIV spent nearly three hours meeting with 15 Belgian survivors of clerical sexual abuse, a gathering the Holy See described as "profound and painful." The meeting underscores a decades-long crisis in Belgium, including cases involving a former bishop. Since his election six months ago, the first American pope has urged the Church to tolerate no abuse and has begun meeting survivors, following a Vatican commission report calling for stronger action. Leo's prior experience as a bishop in Peru also informs his engagement with victims.
Pope Leo XIV Meets 15 Belgian Abuse Survivors in Nearly Three-Hour 'Profound and Painful' Session
Pope Leo XIV spent nearly three hours meeting with 15 Belgian survivors of clerical sexual abuse, a gathering the Holy See described as "profound and painful." The meeting underscores a decades-long crisis in Belgium, including cases involving a former bishop. Since his election six months ago, the first American pope has urged the Church to tolerate no abuse and has begun meeting survivors, following a Vatican commission report calling for stronger action. Leo's prior experience as a bishop in Peru also informs his engagement with victims.
03:19, 09.11.2025Society
Pope Leo XIV meets privately with Belgian abuse survivors
Pope Leo XIV spent nearly three hours on Saturday meeting privately with 15 people who say they were sexually abused as minors by members of the clergy in Belgium. The Holy See Press Office described the encounter as "profound and painful" and said it was held "in a spirit of closeness, listening & dialogue."
Belgium's Catholic Church has been rocked in recent years by a series of devastating clerical abuse scandals spanning roughly 30 years, including the case of a former bishop accused of abusing two nephews. The duration of the pope's meeting—unusually long by papal standards—highlights the seriousness and scale of the crisis.
Last year, Pope Francis also spent more than two hours meeting survivors during a visit to Belgium. At that time, then-Prime Minister Alexander De Croo urged the Vatican to take concrete steps to address the problem.
Since his election six months ago, the first American pope has called on the Church to build a culture that refuses to tolerate abuse "in any form." He held his first meeting with survivors at the Vatican last month, following a report from a Vatican commission that urged Church leaders to do more to support and assist victims.
Leo brings personal experience to the issue: while serving as a bishop in Peru, he confronted one of Latin America's most serious and far-reaching clerical abuse scandals. Saturday's session reportedly focused on survivors' testimony, the long-term impact of abuse, and the need for accountability and pastoral care.
Holy See Press Office: "The encounter was profound and painful — carried out in a spirit of closeness, listening and dialogue."