VATICAN CITY, June 5 (Reuters) – Pope Leo will meet with survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy during his week-long visit to Spain, the Vatican said on Friday. Further information will only be provided after the meeting, a statement said, so as to protect the survivors’ privacy. Leo, the first U.S. pope, is leaving […]
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Pope Leo to meet Catholic abuse survivors on Spain trip, Vatican says
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VATICAN CITY, June 5 (Reuters) – Pope Leo will meet with survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy during his week-long visit to Spain, the Vatican said on Friday.
Further information will only be provided after the meeting, a statement said, so as to protect the survivors’ privacy.
Leo, the first U.S. pope, is leaving on Saturday to visit Spain and the Canary Islands from June 6 to 12.
The possibility of the pope meeting abuse survivors had been the subject of media reporting in recent days.
A 2023 report by Spain’s human rights ombudsman estimated hundreds of thousands of victims of ​clergy abuse there over decades, echoing similar scandals that have shaken the Church in places across the globe.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Angelo Amante)