Pope meets five clerical abuse victims in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Pope Leo XIV met on Monday with five victims of clerical abuse in Argentina and vowed to strengthen protection measures within the Catholic Church.

"The pope spoke with each of them individually, listening to their accounts, the painful experiences they had endured, and their suggestions for strengthening paths toward healing within the Church," the Vatican said.

The meeting came during Leo's tour of South America and amid criticism from a network of clergy abuse survivors in Argentina who accused the Church of failing to deliver on its promises of "zero tolerance."

Cases of sexual abuse by priests and cover-ups have rocked the Catholic Church around the world.

The victims who met the pope had suffered abuse at the hands of members of the clergy or within ecclesial institutions in Argentina, the Vatican said, without specifying when or where the abuse took place.

"To them -- and, through them, to other victims whom it was not possible to meet -- the Pope conveyed his closeness and his commitment to strengthening measures for protection, well-being, welcome, and accompaniment within the Church," the Vatican said.

The meeting lasted more than an hour. — Agence France-Presse