In a deeply personal gesture of pastoral care, Pope Leo XIV spent nearly three hours on Saturday in dialogue and prayer with fifteen survivors of clergy sexual abuse, the Vatican confirmed through the Holy See Press Office.
According to Catholic News Agency, the meeting was described as one of “closeness with the victims, of deep and painful listening and dialogue.” It concluded with “an intense moment of prayer” shared between the Pope and the survivors; a time that participants said reflected the pontiff’s ongoing commitment to confronting the wounds caused by abuse within the Church.
The encounter marked the second such meeting within three weeks. On October 20, Pope Leo XIV met privately with four survivors and two representatives of the international coalition Ending Clergy Abuse, a group representing victims and advocates from more than 30 countries. That earlier gathering, according to participants cited by CNA, was a “deeply meaningful conversation.”
Saturday’s meeting, which lasted significantly longer, underscored Pope Leo’s continuing emphasis on accompaniment and dialogue as central to the Church’s healing process. The Holy See Press Office characterized the event as part of a “path of closeness,” a phrase that has become a hallmark of the Pope’s approach to pastoral encounters, particularly in addressing issues of justice and mercy within the Church.
By bringing survivors into direct conversation and prayer at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV continues the model of open and empathetic engagement that has shaped his pontificate. As CNA reported, the Pope’s time with the group concluded not with formal statements but in prayer, signaling a commitment to spiritual solidarity as well as institutional accountability.
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