Pope delivers historic speech at Congress and meets abuse victims

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to deliver a highly anticipated and historic address to a joint session of the Spanish Parliament on Monday, marking the third day of his visit to Spain. The day's agenda begins with a meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Apostolic Nunciature, where the Pope will also receive victims of abuse perpetrated by members of the Church.

Upon arrival at the Congress of Deputies, the Pope will be greeted by the presidents of the Congress and the Senate. He will then proceed to the Patio de Floridablanca for a formal reception with the Prime Minister and other state authorities. Inside the hemicycle, the President of Congress will open the session, followed by the Pope's speech to the assembled deputies, senators, and distinguished guests. All major political parties, with the exception of Podemos and the BNG, have confirmed their attendance.

Earlier, the Pope urged Spain towards reconciliation and to abandon polarizing narratives. On Sunday, he cautioned Catholics against hypocrisy, stating, "No one can kneel before God and despise his brother." The meeting with abuse victims, announced by the Vatican just before the trip, is expected to be a significant moment, though details remain private out of respect for the survivors.

However, several victim associations, including the National Association Stolen Childhood (ANIR), AVA Navarra, Lulacris, Justice Initiative Spain, and the Platform of Victims of Patxi Ezkiaga from La Salle de Donostia school, have stated they were not invited to meet the Pope despite requesting to do so. These groups plan to protest their exclusion near the Nunciature. Later in the day, the Pope will visit the Almudena Cathedral for a moment of prayer with Queen Sofía, followed by a large gathering with the diocesan community at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, expected to draw around 70,000 people.

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No one can kneel before God and despise his brother.