It was his first meeting with abuse victims since becoming pope. Pope Leo XIV met with several representatives from the Ending Clergy Abuse organization.
This group has been highly critical of the Church's response to abuse cases. They have denounced delays, poor management, and a lack of transparency in the handling of such cases. For this reason, they called on the pontiff to implement stricter measures and establish more direct and continuous communication with victims.
The organization decided to write to Pope Leo after his election, as they were aware of his history in fighting abuse when he was a bishop in Peru.
The ECA, founded in the United States in 2018, represents victims of clergy abuse in more than 30 countries around the world and described the meeting as a "historic and hopeful step for victims."
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