Leo XIV asks Spanish bishops to act against the "plague" of pederasty: "Justice and reparation"

MadridAt the headquarters of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, before all the bishops, who were wearing their zucchettos, Pope Leo XIV has called for decisive action against the "pederasty" perpetrated by priests and religious of the Catholic Church: "Justice and reparation," he summarized. In his speech, he was clear when he recalled the "meeting" with victims of abuse within the institution, which is taking place precisely this Monday: he defined it as one of the "most painful" because it means seeing oneself "with those who have been hurt by those who were supposed to care for them, even by members of the clergy."

Therefore, he defended the zero-tolerance policy: "The ecclesial community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation, and an ever more decisive commitment to prevention and a culture of care." In this regard, the pontiff stated that "every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection, and real paths to healing."

This Monday, a meeting is taking place with victims of pederasty, an issue that is one of the scourges of the institution and whose main pursuer is Father Jordi Bertomeu, an official of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. From the beginning of the announcement of the apostolic journey to Spain, the organization made it clear that Leo XIV wanted to meet with victims of abuse in a meeting that would be part of his private agenda, as it has turned out to be.

Plea

The Pope's commitment, however, does not hide that there is much pain among the victims. The association Reparació Integral Ja (RIYA) has denounced this Monday that the Spanish government has decided to "put on hold" the law to extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse offenses "in exchange for" the official photo of the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, with Leo XIV, referring to the meeting they both had this Monday at the nunciature, before the speech in Congress.

The spokesperson for the organization, Miguel Hurtado, who is the first whistleblower of abuse at the abbey of Montserrat, has urged the Pope to explicitly support the imprescriptibility of child sexual abuse offenses, even in what he has called "the zero zone of clerical child sexual abuse in Catalonia", referring to Montserrat. In turn, Hurtado has requested a hearing in the Courts of the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños.