Pope Leo XIV met privately with five survivors of clergy and church-related abuse in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Monday, November 9, 2026. The meeting came amid growing demands for accountability over the Catholic Church's handling of sexual abuse allegations, including cases involving prominent clergy members who were previously supported by the late Pope Francis.
The Vatican said the meeting lasted more than an hour at the Apostolic Nunciature, where Leo spoke individually with each survivor before addressing them together. The pope listened to their experiences and proposals for improving protections for abuse victims within the Catholic Church.
Although the meeting represented a direct encounter between the pope and survivors, several advocacy organizations criticized the decision to exclude other groups seeking an audience. Their concerns focused on the selection process and the Vatican's handling of criminal cases that have not been fully resolved through church disciplinary procedures.
Pope Leo Listens to Survivors During Private Meeting
The five participants were selected by local Catholic Church authorities in Argentina. Their identities and the details of their individual cases were not publicly disclosed.
According to the Vatican's official statement, Leo listened to accounts of painful experiences involving clergy members and church institutions. He also heard suggestions for improving how the church responds to people who have suffered abuse.
At the end of the meeting, the pope addressed the five survivors as a group, offered his blessing and thanked them for sharing their experiences.
The Vatican said Leo wanted to strengthen protections and provide better support for people affected by abuse. His message also extended to survivors who had requested meetings but were unable to participate.
The encounter took place before the pope traveled to the Catholic University of Argentina for a scheduled event with workers, business leaders and representatives of social organizations.
The meeting was part of Leo's 12-day visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, which began November 6. His trip marks the first papal visit to Argentina since Pope John Paul II traveled to the country in 1987.
Leo's decision to meet with abuse survivors follows a practice established by previous popes. However, victims' advocates have repeatedly argued that private meetings must be accompanied by meaningful changes in church investigations, disciplinary decisions and public reporting.
Survivors Criticize Selection Process
Several organizations representing abuse victims expressed disappointment that they were not included in Monday's meeting.
Among those seeking an audience were 43 women who have accused members of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic organization, of human trafficking and forced labor at facilities in Argentina.
The women allege they were recruited into domestic service arrangements that involved exploitation and restrictions on their freedom. Their complaints have become the subject of a criminal investigation involving senior figures associated with the organization.
Prosecutors have requested that certain individuals be summoned for questioning, although the judge overseeing the case has not ordered those appearances. The allegations remain under investigation, and Opus Dei has denied wrongdoing.
The women had hoped to discuss their experiences directly with the pope and seek greater attention to their complaints.
Other survivors seeking a meeting included people who were abused at the Antonio Próvolo Institute, a school for deaf and hearing-impaired children in Argentina.
Attorney Sergio Salinas Giordano, director of Ending Clergy Abuse Global, criticized the decision to allow local church authorities to determine who would meet with Leo.
He said survivor organizations respected the five participants and their testimony but questioned whether church officials facing scrutiny over past abuse cases should control access to the pope.
The disagreement illustrates a continuing concern among advocacy groups. They argue that church leaders responsible for handling abuse complaints should not have exclusive authority over which survivors can present their experiences to the Vatican.
Julio Grassi Case Remains a Source of Controversy
One of Argentina's most prominent clergy abuse cases involves Julio César Grassi, a priest who operated homes for disadvantaged children.
Grassi was convicted in 2009 of sexually abusing and corrupting a minor and received a 15-year prison sentence. He remains incarcerated, with his sentence scheduled to end in May 2028.
The case attracted renewed criticism because of actions taken by Pope Francis before his election as pontiff.
In 2010, when Francis was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio and archbishop of Buenos Aires, he commissioned an extensive examination of the criminal proceedings against Grassi.
The resulting study contained more than 2,000 pages across four volumes and challenged the allegations against the priest. Its findings argued that Grassi was innocent and questioned the credibility of the people who had accused him.
Argentine courts nevertheless upheld the criminal case against Grassi. The conviction became a significant example cited by survivors who believe church authorities have sometimes defended accused clergy members rather than supporting complainants.
Grassi remains a Catholic priest but is prohibited from publicly exercising his ministry while awaiting a final Vatican decision concerning his clerical status.
Survivors' organizations have demanded greater transparency about those proceedings, arguing that criminal convictions should lead to clear and publicly explained disciplinary responses.
Former Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta Released on Parole
Another closely watched case involves Gustavo Oscar Zanchetta, the former bishop of Orán in northern Argentina.
Zanchetta was appointed bishop by Francis in 2013 and resigned from the position in 2017. He subsequently received a role in the Vatican's financial administration despite allegations concerning his conduct.
Francis initially accepted Zanchetta's explanations regarding accusations involving inappropriate sexual images. The late pope later authorized a church criminal proceeding against him in 2019.
In March 2022, an Argentine court convicted Zanchetta of sexually abusing two seminarians. He received a prison sentence of four years and six months.
His conviction became final in February 2025, and he was conditionally released in September of that year. The decision prompted renewed demands that he be removed permanently from the priesthood.
Zanchetta continues to be publicly identified as bishop emeritus of Orán. The Vatican has not announced the final outcome of the internal church proceedings initiated against him.
The lack of a public decision has become another example cited by advocates demanding greater accountability.
Although criminal courts and the Catholic Church operate under separate legal systems, survivors argue that church disciplinary procedures should provide clear information about decisions affecting convicted clergy members.
Abuse at School for Deaf Children Draws Attention
The Antonio Próvolo Institute in Mendoza has also been at the center of major criminal proceedings involving abuse of vulnerable children.
Investigators documented sexual abuse of deaf and hearing-impaired students between 2005 and 2016. The case involved priests and other religious personnel who worked at the institution.
In 2019, priests Horacio Corbacho and Nicola Corradi received prison sentences of 45 and 42 years, respectively, for their involvement in the abuse.
Corradi later died while under house arrest. In September 2026, former nun Kumiko Kosaka received a 20-year sentence for her role in the abuse and mistreatment of students.
The prosecutions exposed serious failures in the protection of children at an institution that families had trusted to provide education and care.
Survivors and their representatives have continued seeking acknowledgment and support from church authorities. Some also requested an opportunity to meet directly with Leo during his visit.
Their exclusion from Monday's gathering renewed criticism of how the church chooses representatives for meetings intended to address abuse.
Argentina Faces Pressure for Broader Investigation
Argentina has experienced numerous clergy abuse scandals, but the country has not conducted a comprehensive national investigation comparable to inquiries undertaken in France, Australia and several other countries.
BishopAccountability.org, an organization that documents allegations involving Catholic clergy, lists nearly 100 priests, religious brothers and women religious publicly accused of abusing minors or vulnerable adults in Argentina.
That figure does not represent a complete national count, and public allegations should not be treated as criminal convictions. Some cases remain under investigation, while others have resulted in court judgments or internal church proceedings.
The Argentine bishops have established safeguarding guidelines and a national council intended to improve responses to abuse allegations.
Nevertheless, advocacy organizations argue that significant weaknesses remain in reporting procedures, institutional transparency and access to information about disciplinary decisions.
One recurring concern involves the separation between civil criminal proceedings and the Catholic Church's internal legal system.
Church authorities sometimes wait until criminal appeals have been completed before beginning or finalizing disciplinary cases. During investigations, church rules also allow precautionary measures, including removing accused clergy from public ministry.
Survivors argue that those measures need to be applied consistently and that final decisions should be made public whenever possible.
Pope Continues South American Visit
Leo's meeting with survivors took place during a busy day in Buenos Aires that included a large outdoor Mass at the Monumento de los Españoles.
Local authorities estimated that approximately 2.5 million people attended the celebration. The event was among the largest gatherings of the pope's South American journey.
Argentina holds particular significance for the Catholic Church because it was the birthplace of Pope Francis, who led the church from 2013 until his death in 2025.
Leo's visit has therefore brought renewed attention to both Francis' legacy and the unresolved controversies surrounding church abuse cases in his home country.
The pope is expected to hold another meeting with abuse survivors during the Peru portion of his journey. He previously served as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, before becoming pope.
Monday's meeting demonstrated Leo's willingness to hear directly from people affected by abuse, but it did not resolve the questions raised by organizations excluded from the gathering.
Those groups continue to seek information about disciplinary proceedings involving convicted clergy, along with opportunities for additional survivors to speak directly with church leaders.
The next test will be whether the Vatican provides further information about the cases of Grassi and Zanchetta and whether additional survivors receive the opportunity to meet Leo during the remainder of his South American visit.