Pope Leo XIV Meets with Victims of Abuse in Spain – ZENIT

(ZENIT News / Madrid, 06.08.2026). – On the afternoon of June 8, at the Apostolic Nunciature in Madrid, Pope Leo XIV met with several victims of abuse committed by members of the clergy and the Church in Spain, accompanied by ecclesiastic personnel committed to supporting the victims.

During the conversation, which lasted almost an hour, each of those present, drawing on their own painful personal experiences, offered the Holy Father proposals for a more effective Church response to these tragic cases.

The Pope listened with affection and attention, assuring them of his closeness and that of the entire ecclesial community, and his commitment to ensuring that the proposals received would serve as a basis for future efforts. He hoped that the Church could truly be a safe and spiritually healthy place, where wounds find comfort and healing.

A few hours earlier, the Pope had addressed the entire Spanish Episcopate on this topic:

«Our journey is made up of encounters, and among them are those who are experiencing moments of darkness, and who call upon us to become Good Samaritans for them. One of the most painful encounters is with those who have been wounded precisely by those who should have cared for them, even by members of the clergy. Faced with this plague, the ecclesial community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation, and an ever-stronger commitment to prevention and a culture of care. Every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection, and real paths to healing.»