Pope Leo XIV called for justice for victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy during a trip to Spain, where he plans to meet with those who have suffered.

“Faced with this scourge, the ecclesial community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation and an ever-more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care,” Leo said during a meeting on Monday with bishops in Madrid.

The pope stressed that these victims “have been wounded precisely by those who were meant to care for them, including members of the clergy.”

The speech comes during the pope’s week-long visit to Spain. The trip is partly being used to address the ongoing fallout from clergy abuse in the country as people seek compensation. The pope will meet privately with victims during his travels, the Holy See said, without disclosing details.

“Every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection and real paths to healing,” Leo said.

Aboard the papal plane to Madrid on Saturday, the pontiff told reporters that sexual abuse by clergy members remains “an open wound.” He said that throughout his life, wherever he has served, he has fought against the crime and would continue to do so.

Later on Saturday, King Felipe VI raised the issue during his welcoming remarks at Madrid’s Royal Palace.

“Cases of abuse are not and cannot be representative of the vast ecclesial community,” Felipe said. “Your clarity and firmness, which I also wish to acknowledge, are essential to the healing process and the repair of the harm inflicted: they are essential for the victims, for the faithful, for the Church and for society as a whole.”

Sexual abuse has occurred within the Catholic Church in multiple countries, though responses have varied. In Spain, the bishops’ conference reached an agreement with the government in January on a process to compensate victims. The arrangement was later formalized in a protocol outlining procedural steps, categories of offenses and forms of redress.

The Catholic Church recognizes more than 1,000 victims of clerical sexual abuse based on complaints filed with its internal bodies, though other investigations point to more than 3,000 victims.

According to a survey commissioned by Spain’s ombudsman in 2022, about 1.13% of respondents said they suffered abuse within the church as children.

—With assistance from Macarena Muñoz.

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