Pope Leo XIV denounced machismo and violence against women during his visit to Peru, calling for women to be protected and respected. He also urged bishops to respond to clergy sexual abuse with truth and justice.
Pope Leo XIV denounced widespread “machismo” and violence against women in Peru on Thursday, demanding that women be protected and respected during the seventh day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America.
In a speech to Peruvians in Lima’s Plaza Mayor, Leo denounced the culture of “machismo” and violence against women that is prevalent in Peru, saying it went against the Christian teaching that proclaims men and women share equal dignity.
“It pains us to see that violence against women — who could be our grandmothers, mothers, sisters or daughters — continues to be a reality that wounds all of humanity,” he said.
He noted that poor, Indigenous and Afro-Peruvian women are doubly penalized, and called for all women to be valued, protected and respected.
Gender-based violence is an urgent social issue in Peru, which recorded 1,261 femicide victims between 2016 and 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics. During that period, the number of women killed because of their gender rose by 44%.
The 71-year-old pope, born Robert Prevost, spent two decades as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru. He sang along as 40,000 people in Lima’s Plaza Mayor serenaded him with “Contigo Perú,” and drew applause when he recited the lyrics of “Mi Perú.”
Leo underwent lung cancer surgery last month but bounded up a steep flight of stairs Thursday morning without apparent problems. He joked with bishops that some “doubting Thomases” had predicted he wouldn’t be able to come.
“But God is great and his grace is bigger than all of us and I’m very happy to be here with you,” he said to applause.
Leo called on the Catholic hierarchy to be models of unity and communion and instructed Peruvian bishops to accompany their flocks and respond to victims of clergy sexual abuse with truth and justice.
Being a bishop, he said, means “entering people’s homes, accompanying the sick, meeting young people and reaching out to communities which, due to their geographical remoteness or social vulnerability, are rarely able to make their voices heard.”
The online database BishopAccountability has identified 77 priests, brothers, seminarians and lay consecrated in Peru who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors. The organization said that number is a “small fraction” of the total.
Leo was expected to meet with survivors during his stay in Peru, and a protest by a victims group was planned later Thursday.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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