Pope Leo Urges Peru to Confront Violence Against Women and Abuse

Pope Leo XIV urged Peruvians to confront machismo and violence against women on November 12, as he began the working portion of a visit to the country where he spent two decades as a priest and bishop. He also told Catholic bishops to accompany their communities and respond to clergy sexual abuse with truth and justice.

Speaking in central Lima, Leo said violence against women violates the Christian belief that women and men have equal dignity. He called for women to be valued, protected and respected, emphasizing the additional disadvantages faced by poor, Indigenous and Afro-Peruvian women. Peru recorded 1,261 femicide victims from 2016 through 2024, and the number rose 44% over that period, according to national statistics.

Leo also described clergy sexual abuse as a source of deep pain and called for justice, making amends and stronger prevention and protection. The BishopAccountability database lists 77 people affiliated with the Peruvian church who face public allegations of child sexual abuse. Leo was expected to meet abuse survivors during his visit, and a victims’ group planned a protest later on November 12.

The pope’s return prompted a large public welcome. The Vatican estimated that about 3 million people lined his motorcade route on November 11. In Lima’s Plaza Mayor the next day, around 40,000 people sang to him, and Leo joined in with a well-known Peruvian song. Despite lung cancer surgery the previous month, he appeared energetic and joked with bishops who had doubted he could make the trip.

Pope Leo Calls Peru to Protect Women and Abuse Survivors

Pope Leo XIV used his return to Peru to press the country and its powerful Catholic hierarchy on violence against women and clergy sexual abuse. On November 12 in Lima, he condemned machismo and called for women to be valued, protected and respected, particularly those facing poverty and discrimination as Indigenous or Afro-Peruvian women.

The scale of the problem is stark: Peru recorded 1,261 femicide victims between 2016 and 2024, with the number rising 44% during that period. Leo said violence against women contradicts the equal dignity of women and men. His appeal puts the focus on people bearing the cost of entrenched violence, rather than treating it as an abstract social issue.

He also told bishops to respond to abuse by clergy with truth and justice, and called for prevention and protection. A database lists 77 individuals affiliated with the Peruvian church facing public allegations of child sexual abuse. Leo was expected to meet survivors, while a victims’ group planned a protest on November 12.

The pope’s welcome was immense: the Vatican estimated that 3 million people lined his route on November 11, and around 40,000 gathered in Lima’s main plaza the following day. The challenge now is whether the church’s promises of justice and protection will bring meaningful support to victims and women facing violence.

Leo Appeals to Christian Dignity in Peru’s Fight Against Abuse

Pope Leo XIV grounded his appeal to Peru in the equal dignity of women and men, condemning machismo and violence against women during his November 12 visit to Lima. He called on Peruvians to protect and respect women, including those facing poverty and discrimination because they are Indigenous or Afro-Peruvian.

Leo also challenged Catholic bishops to accompany their communities and respond to clergy sexual abuse with truth, justice, making amends and a stronger commitment to prevention. He called the abuse a painful reality for the church. A database lists 77 people affiliated with the Peruvian church who face public allegations of child sexual abuse; Leo was expected to meet survivors during his stay.

The pope’s message was a call for moral responsibility from church leaders and the wider community. Peru recorded 1,261 femicide victims from 2016 through 2024, with the number rising 44% in that period. Around 40,000 people gathered in Lima’s Plaza Mayor to hear Leo, after an estimated 3 million lined his motorcade route on November 11.

Leo’s return was warmly received, but the visit also brought hard responsibilities into view: protecting women, standing with abuse victims and ensuring that the church’s response reflects the justice it preaches.