Pope Leo tells bishops in Spain: Listen to victims and offer compensation

Pope Leo told Catholic bishops in Spain on Monday that they must listen to victims of clerical abuse and offer them reparations, in the first direct reference during his visit to the scandals that have shaken the credibility of the Church there.

The Lion told the priests that victims of abuse should see the Church's "resolute commitment" to strengthening protection measures and creating a safe culture for children and vulnerable people.

"One of the most painful encounters is meeting those who have been wounded by those who were supposed to care for them, including members of the clergy," said the first pope from the United States.

A 2023 report by Spain's human rights ombudsman estimated that there had been hundreds of thousands of victims of clerical abuse in the country over the decades, reflecting global scandals that have shaken the Church's moral authority and cost it hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and settlements.

The Pope is on a seven-day tour of Spain, his first visit to a European Union country outside Italy. The Vatican said the pope would meet with a group of victims during the visit, but gave no further details.

Some prominent Spanish groups of abuse victims announced that they were not invited to any meeting with the Pope and assessed that it was an insufficient move, reduced to a photo opportunity.

Juan Cuatrecasas, president of the group "Stolen Childhood," said the victims who will meet with the pope do not represent all the victims of the Church.

"The church is using them, the bishops' conference is using them, to improve the image of the church in Spain," he told reporters.

Although Leo's predecessor, Francis, took steps to address clerical abuse scandals during his 12-year pontificate, victims' groups have called for stricter accountability measures and a global zero-tolerance policy toward priests accused of misconduct.

"Stolen Childhood" and other Spanish groups have called for concrete measures, including lifelong psychological assistance and fair compensation for victims, as well as support in education and employment.

Madrid Cardinal Jose Cobo said last week that it was simply not feasible for the pope to meet with multiple victims' groups during his visit to Spain, due to his busy schedule.

"That doesn't mean it's something the pope isn't interested in, it's simply that his time is limited," Kobo said.

Spanish activist Miguel Hurtado, who said he was abused as a teenager at the Montserrat Abbey near Barcelona, ​​criticized the fact that the pope's schedule does not include a meeting with abuse victims at the abbey.

On Wednesday, the Lion will visit Montserrat, which was mentioned in the 2023 Ombudsman's report, and have lunch with the Benedictine monks there.

“At the very least... remember the victims,” Urtado told reporters. “Publicly commit to cleansing the Church of abusers and those who cover them up.”

The ombudsman's report identified 15 victims and three alleged perpetrators linked to the abbey.