STORY: Pope Leo met with survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy for the first time on Monday (October 20), days after the Vatican's child protection commission accused senior Church leaders of being too slow to help victims.

Leo held a meeting with Ending Clergy Abuse, an international coalition of survivors, the group said. The encounter, which included four victims and two advocates, lasted about an hour with "a significant moment of dialog," they said.

The 1.4-billion-member Church has been shaken for decades by scandals across the world involving abuse and cover-up, damaging its credibility and costing it hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.

An unusually critical report from the Vatican's own child protection commission, issued on Thursday, faulted senior bishops for not providing information to victims about how their reports of abuse were being handled, or whether negligent bishops had been sanctioned.

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Pope Leo holds first meeting with survivors of Catholic sexual abuse

VIDEO SHOWS: POPE LEO MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF "ENDING CLERGY ABUSE"

SHOWS: VATICAN CITY (OCTOBER 20, 2025) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

1. PERUVIAN JOURNALIST AND CATHOLIC ABUSE SURVIVOR PEDRO SALINAS SHAKING HANDS WITH POPE LEO

2. POPE HOLDING BOOK "THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE''

3. SALINAS SITTING / POPE LEO READING THE BOOK

4. VARIOUS OF POPE LEO MEETING MEMBERS OF "ENDING CLERGY ABUSE"

5. LEO POSING WITH MEMBERS OF "ENDING CLERGY ABUSE" FOR PICTURES

6. LEO POSING WITH SALINAS FOR PICTURES