Pope to Meet Abuse Victims During Spain Visit

Pope Leo XIV will meet with victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy during his visit to Spain, the Vatican announced on Friday. Details of the meeting will not be released until after it has taken place, in order to protect the victims' privacy.

The Pope departs on Saturday for a visit to Spain and the Canary Islands running from 6 to 12 June. The possibility of such a meeting had been the subject of media speculation in recent days.

A 2023 report by Spain's human rights ombudsman estimated that hundreds of thousands of people have been victims of clerical abuse in the country in recent decades, placing Spain among a number of countries where the Catholic Church has faced similar scandals.

(reuters, lud)