Pope Francis Met Privately with Abuse Victims in Portugal and Called on the Hierarchy to Treat them Better

Pope Francis met privately with victims of sexual abuse in Portugal. At the Vatican embassy in Lisbon, the head of the Catholic Church received a group of 13 people who had been abused by clergy in the past, according to the Vatican press office. The encounter was characterized by an atmosphere of "intensive listening". The victims were therefore accompanied by representatives of church institutions for the protection of minors. The Vatican initially did not provide any further information about the content of the meeting.
A statement by the Holy See Press Office Director said: "This evening, after concluding his institutional and ecclesial encounters, Pope Francis received in the Nunciature a group of 13 victims of abuse by members of the clergy who were accompanied by several Church organizations committed to the protection of minors."

Mr. Bruni specified the meeting took place "in an atmosphere of intense listening and lasted over an hour," ending shortly after 8:15 pm local time.

The meeting followed Vespers in Lisbon's Jeronimos Monastery during which the Holy Father called on clergy and religious to combat clerical sexual abuse and always listen to the victims.

In mid-February, a commission set up by Portugal's bishops' conference published an investigative report according to which at least 4,815 people were sexually abused in a church context between 1950 and 2022. The attacks took place mainly in Catholic seminars, homes, schools or sports facilities. The average age of the victims was almost eleven years; in 77 percent of the cases priests were the perpetrators.
The victims will be commemorated in a service at World Youth Day. In addition, the erection of a memorial on the occasion of World Youth Day was announced. In early July, however, the bishops canceled the presentation of the monument, saying it was "still under consideration".