Pope Leo met with six survivors of Catholic clergy abuse in Madrid during his visit to Spain, listening to their recommendations for improving Church safeguarding. The Vatican described the meeting as a gesture of closeness and commitment to healing. A 2023 report by Spain’s ombudsman estimated hundreds of thousands of abuse victims over decades, a figure contested by Church authorities. Advocacy group Stolen Childhood criticized the limited scope of the meeting, arguing it excluded many victims and served as image management. While the Pope acknowledged the abuse crisis as an ongoing wound, survivor groups continue to demand comprehensive accountability, compensation, and psychological support. The meeting followed a tradition of papal encounters with abuse survivors during international visits.

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