VATICAN CITY, June 5 – 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. REUTERS