Christian World | Pope Leo XIV told Peruvians in Lima to value women and protect girls, condemning machismo and abuse and urging a society built on dignity, family and fair work

ACW | November 12, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV urged Peruvians on Thursday to value women and protect girls, condemning machismo and abuse at a meeting outside Lima's cathedral, Vatican News reported.

The pope spoke at a gathering on the "Challenges and Hopes of the Peruvian People" in the square of the Basilica Cathedral of St John the Apostle and Evangelist. Four people first described pressures on families, cultural prejudice, the treatment of women, and the lack of formal jobs and gang extortion.

Leo criticized machismo, absent fathers and the abuse of women, and said Indigenous, Afro-Peruvian and poor women face double marginalization. "Let us value women! Let us protect and respect girls!" he said.

He called the family the first natural society, whose rights institutions should protect rather than replace. "At the center of every social, economic and political organization must be the human person," he said.

Turning to Peru's cultural diversity, he warned against demeaning jokes and labels. "Along with disarming our language by giving up hurtful words, we must also disarm our attitudes," he said. He asked public authorities to set fair legal frameworks that balance work, rest and family life.

Background: Leo arrived in Peru on November 11 for the final leg of a Latin America trip that took him first to Uruguay and Argentina. Earlier on Thursday he urged Peru's bishops to stay close to their people.

Why it matters: In his address, reported by Vatican News, Leo placed the protection of women and girls alongside family and decent work, saying the human person must be "at the center of every social, economic and political organization."

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Source: Vatican News — Pope Leo's address on the challenges and hopes of the Peruvian people

Photo: Vatican News (Vatican Media)