The Vatican says that Pope Leo XIV has met with six survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Madrid and vowed to consider their suggestions for how the Catholic Church can improve its response to the crisis. The meeting on Monday, which followed in the tradition of popes meeting with abuse survivors during their foreign trips, lasted about an hour and took place at the Vatican Embassy in Madrid, the Vatican said in a statement. Spain's Catholic hierarchy has only recently begun reckoning with its legacy of abuse and cover-up after long dismissing the severity of the scandal that came to light thanks to reporting by the newpaper El País.

Pope Leo XIV has met with an organization of clergy abuse survivors and advocates for the first time. Participants on Monday said he agreed to maintain a permanent dialogue with them. The Ending Clergy Abuse group is pushing for a zero-tolerance policy for abuse in the Catholic Church. The policy would require the permanent removal of any priest who abuses a child. A co-founder of the group said Leo acknowledged resistance to a universal law but expressed willingness to work with them. Previous popes had met with individual victims but kept activist organizations at a distance.

The Vatican's child protection board says the Catholic Church has a moral duty to help victims of clergy sexual abuse heal. Financial reparations and sanctions for abusers and their enablers are seen as essential. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors focused on reparations in its second annual report. It highlights the need for monetary settlements to provide victims with therapy and assistance. The report also calls for accountability, transparency, and effective prevention strategies. It emphasizes that the church must listen to victims, apologize, and implement concrete measures to prevent future abuse.