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 prayed for political leaders to end "fratricidal hatred" in the world. He spent Friday, the anniversary of his election, in Pompeii, marking a feast day important to him. Leo traveled to the city near Naples to celebrate the May 8 feast of Our Lady of Pompeii. The sanctuary there is a significant site for Catholic pilgrims. In his homily, Leo entrusted his pontificate to the Virgin Mary and prayed for peace. He emphasized the need for mercy and enlightenment for leaders. Leo's visit to Pompeii is part of a series of trips across Italy.

Pope Leo XIV has carried a wooden cross at the Colosseum to mark his first Good Friday as pontiff. This is the first time in decades a pope has carried the cross to every station of the Way of the Cross. Speaking earlier, Leo emphasized the importance of spiritual leadership and carrying the world's suffering in prayer. Thousands gathered to follow the stations recited over loudspeakers. The meditation, prepared for Leo's first Good Friday, highlighted the responsibility of those in power.

Pope Leo XIV has opened the church's penitential Lenten season by presiding over Ash Wednesday. He is lamenting the "ashes of international law and justice" that have been left by today's wars and conflicts.Leo revived the traditional prayer and procession that Pope Francis largely had to delegate to others in his final years. The American pope led dozens of monks, priests, bishops and cardinals from one Roman church to another and then sprinkled ashes on the heads of cardinals. Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and reflection. It starts a season of self-denial and repentance from sin known as Lent. It leads up to observances of Jesus' death on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have visited the Vatican to pray with Pope Leo XIV. This historic meeting aims to strengthen ties between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. The event on Thursday marked the first time since the Reformation that the heads of these two churches have prayed together. The visit comes amid renewed scrutiny of the British royal family over Prince Andrew's ties with Jeffrey Epstein. Charles' and Camilla's visit had been planned for earlier in the year but was rescheduled after Pope Francis's illness and death. The meeting included discussions on ecological sustainability, a priority for both Charles and the Vatican.

The Vatican is expected to soon announce that it will return a few dozen artifacts sought by Indigenous communities in Canada. It's part of its reckoning with the Catholic Church's troubled role in helping suppress Indigenous culture in the Americas. The items, including an Inuit kayak, are part of the Vatican Museum's ethnographic collection, known as the Anima Mundi museum. The collection has been a source of controversy for the Vatican amid the broader museum debate over the restitution of cultural artifacts taken from Indigenous peoples during colonial periods. Officials say negotiations are proceeding positively and that an announcement could come from the Vatican in a few weeks.

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.

Pope Leo XIV has intervened for the first time in an abortion dispute roiling the U.S. Catholic Church.Leo was asked late Tuesday about plans by Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich to give a lifetime achievement award to Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin for his work helping immigrants. The plans drew objection from some conservative U.S. bishops given the powerful Democratic senator's support for abortion rights.Leo called first of all for respect for both sides, but he also pointed out the seeming contradiction in such debates over what it means to be "pro-life." He said: "Someone who says 'I'm against abortion but says I am in favor of the death penalty' is not really pro-life."