Leo meets abuse victims in Spain as some protest

By Joshua McElwee and Emma Pinedo

MADRID, June 8 (Reuters) – Pope Leo met on Monday with six survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy in Spain, the Vatican said, as groups of survivors who were not invited criticised the event as a mere photo opportunity.

The Vatican provided few details of the meeting, which lasted about an hour. But it said Leo had listened to proposals to make Church safeguarding more effective, and promised to make it a safe space for all.

Leo, on a week-long visit to Spain, had earlier made his first direct reference to scandals that have shaken the Spanish Church’s credibility, telling bishops that they must listen to survivors and offer them reparations.

Leo told the clerics that survivors of abuse should see a “determined commitment” from the Church to strengthen safeguarding and create a safe culture for children and other vulnerable people.

A ​2023 report ⁠by Spain’s human rights ombudsman estimated that hundreds ​of thousands of victims had been abused by Spanish clergy over decades, echoing scandals that have shaken the Church’s moral authority around the world and cost hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.

Juan Cuatrecasas, president of the group “Stolen Childhood”, said the survivors’ meeting with the pope had fallen short by failing to include representatives of all Church victims.

“They are being used by the Church, by the Bishops’ Conference, to clean up the image of the Spanish Church”, he told reporters.

SURVIVORS SAY CHURCH MUST DO MORE 

While Leo’s predecessor, Francis, took steps to address clerical abuse, survivors’ groups have called for stricter accountability and a global zero-tolerance policy for clergy accused of misconduct.

“Stolen Childhood” and other Spanish groups have demanded measures including fair compensation and lifelong psychological care for victims, as well as support for education and employment. 

Last week, Madrid Cardinal Jose Cobo said it was not feasible for the pope to meet multiple groups of survivors during a packed itinerary.

“It is simply that his time is limited,” said Cobo.

Spanish activist Miguel Hurtado was dismayed that the pope was not due to meet survivors of abuse at the mountainside Montserrat Abbey outside Barcelona, where Hurtado says he was abused as a teenager.

Leo will visit Montserrat, which was included in the 2023 ombudsman report, on Wednesday and have lunch with its Benedictine monks.

“At the very least … remember the victims,” Hurtado told reporters. “Commit publicly to cleaning 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.  

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee and Emma Pinedo; additional reporting by Joan Faus, Aislinn Laing, Elena Rodriguez and Silvio Castellanos; Editing by David Latona, Alex Richardson and Kevin Liffey)