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Pope promises abuse victims Church will do more to change
🇯🇲 Jamaica /Culture & Society

Pope promises abuse victims Church will do more to change

From Jamaica Observer · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Pope Leo XIV met with six victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Madrid, promising the Church would increase efforts to change.
  • Victims shared their experiences and proposed ways to improve the Church's response to such cases.
  • The Pope also addressed Spanish bishops, calling for listening, truth, justice, and prevention, while some victim groups expressed disappointment at being excluded from the meeting.

Pope Leo XIV met with six victims of sexual violence perpetrated by Catholic clergy in Madrid, pledging that the Church will undertake "additional efforts" to reform. During the hour-long meeting, the victims recounted their "painful personal experiences" and offered proposals aimed at enhancing the Church's response to these tragic cases.

We are disappointed that the pope, instead of listening to a sufficiently large and solid representation of victims, prefers to leave us out.

— Juan CuatrecasasSpokesman for the association Infancia Robada, expressing frustration over exclusion from the Pope's meetings.

The Vatican stated that the Pope assured the victims of his "commitment to ensure" their suggestions form the basis for future actions, striving to make the Church a "safe and spiritually healthy place." Earlier the same day, Pope Leo urged Spanish bishops to confront the "scourge" of abuse with "listening, truth, justice, reparation and an ever more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care."

However, representatives from some victim advocacy groups voiced disappointment, complaining of exclusion from the Pope's engagements. Juan Cuatrecasas, spokesperson for Infancia Robada (Stolen Childhood), expressed frustration that the Pope "prefers to leave us out" instead of engaging with a broader representation of victims.

commitment to ensure that their proposals become a foundation for additional efforts, so that the Church may truly be a safe and spiritually healthy place.

— Pope Leo XIVThe Pope's assurance to victims regarding the Church's future actions.

This meeting occurred against the backdrop of a 2023 report estimating that around 200,000 minors have suffered sexual violence by clergy in Spain since 1940. The Spanish government and the Catholic Church recently finalized an agreement to compensate victims, following years of Church reticence on the issue.

with listening, truth, justice, reparation and an ever more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care.

— Pope Leo XIVThe Pope's message to Spanish bishops on how the Church should respond to abuse.

In separate remarks, Pope Leo, who is 70 and from the U.S., described the sexual violence scandal as "still an open wound" for the Church. He also delivered an unprecedented speech to the Spanish parliament, calling for a global response to migration and emphasizing world peace as a "true global imperative." He advocated for safe, legal immigration pathways and respectful integration for migrants, aligning with Spain's relatively liberal immigration policy, though the government faces pressure on the issue from conservative and far-right parties.

still an open wound

— Pope Leo XIVThe Pope's description of the ongoing impact of the sexual violence scandal.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jamaica Observer. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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