Leo addressed the topic in a March 16 audience with members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged the Church to listen to victims of sexual abuse, and called for the recognition of the pain caused and for the creation of “a culture of care.”
“It is about helping to form, throughout the Church, a culture of care, in which the protection of minors and persons in vulnerable situations is not seen as an obligation imposed from outside but as a natural expression of faith,” the pope said in an audience with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) on March 16.
He added that it calls “for a process of conversion where the sufferings of others are heard and move us to take action.”
Leo noted that the experiences of victims and survivors are “essential reference points,” adding that “while they are certainly painful and difficult to hear, these experiences powerfully bring the truth to light and teach us humility.”
He also warned bishops and the superiors of religious orders and communities that they “have a responsibility of their own that cannot be delegated” to
