The hour-long meeting took place at the Vatican embassy in Madrid during the pope’s visit to Spain, according to a Vatican statement. The encounter followed a practice established by previous pontiffs of meeting abuse survivors during international trips and marked the first publicly known such meeting by Leo while abroad.

During the discussion, survivors shared their experiences and proposed measures aimed at strengthening the church’s response to abuse. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope listened attentively and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that victims’ recommendations help shape future efforts within the church.

“The pope listened with affection and attention, assured them of his closeness and that of the entire church community and pledged his commitment to ensuring that the suggestions received serve as a foundation for further efforts,” Bruni said.The meeting came as Spain’s Catholic Church continues a broader reckoning over clerical sexual abuse.

In 2023, Spain’s ombudsman published an 800-page report estimating that hundreds of thousands of people may have suffered abuse linked to the church over several decades, based on a survey of 8,000 respondents and an examination of 487 documented cases.

Spain’s bishops disputed that estimate, citing a separate church investigation that identified 728 sexual abusers within the Catholic Church since 1945.Ahead of the meeting, some survivor advocacy groups criticized the process used to select participants, arguing that many victims and organizations were excluded.

A small protest was held outside the Vatican embassy in Madrid.Juan Cuatrecasas, a spokesperson for the Robbed Childhood association, said the participating survivors did not represent all victims and accused church authorities of attempting to improve the institution’s image rather than fully addressing past failures.

Earlier on Monday, Leo addressed Spain’s bishops and called for stronger efforts to support survivors through listening, truth, justice and reparations. He said the church community must demonstrate a more determined commitment to prevention and safeguarding.“Every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection and real paths to healing,” the pope told church leaders.

Spain this year launched a reparations framework for victims of clerical abuse whose cases are too old to be prosecuted. The mechanism, developed with the involvement of both the Spanish government and the Catholic Church, allows survivors to seek compensation and support, with authorities retaining a significant role in determining payouts.

Leo has previously emphasized the importance of listening to victims while also maintaining that the rights of accused clergy must be protected. Before becoming pope, the former Robert Prevost served as bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, where he handled abuse-related complaints on behalf of the Peruvian bishops’ conference and was involved in efforts to address allegations linked to the influential Catholic group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae.

Separately, Leo defended the Catholic Church’s position on the confidentiality of confession, amid growing debate in several countries over whether priests should be required to report abuse disclosed during sacramental confession.

Addressing Spain’s parliament, the pope described confessional secrecy as a matter of religious freedom, arguing that legal protections for confidential conversations between priests and penitents preserve an essential space for believers to speak freely without fear of external interference.

In one of the most significant political speeches of his papacy, Leo called on governments to pursue peace, address the root causes of migration and exercise greater ethical oversight of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.”The world is undergoing a profound spiritual and cultural crisis, which is manifested in multiple forms of violence, polarization, and mutual distrust,” the pope told lawmakers in Madrid.

Speaking hours after renewed exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran, he said military force could not provide lasting solutions to global conflicts.”Weapons can impose a temporary silence, but they can never build an authentic and lasting peace,” he said.The address, delivered in Spanish and met with a prolonged standing ovation, marked the first speech by a pope before Spain’s national parliament and formed a centerpiece of Leo’s week-long visit to the country.

The pontiff devoted significant attention to migration, describing the treatment of migrants as a test of the international community’s moral principles. He argued that governments should move beyond simply managing migration flows and instead address the underlying causes driving displacement, including war, poverty and climate change.

“The moral greatness of a nation is manifested above all in its capacity to accompany, protect, and love those lives that pass through the greatest fragility,” Leo said.His remarks come as Spain continues to confront migration pressures along routes linking West Africa to the Canary Islands.

According to rights group Caminando Fronteras, more than 3,000 migrants died attempting the crossing in 2025.Leo also criticized the acceleration of defense spending across Europe, describing the trend as troubling at a time when diplomatic efforts should be prioritized.

European military expenditures rose sharply over the past year amid security concerns and pressure from the United States for NATO members to increase defense budgets.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has resisted calls for NATO countries to raise defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product, although Spain’s military budget has increased substantially during his tenure.The pope further urged governments to establish rigorous ethical safeguards governing the use of artificial intelligence, particularly in military applications.

Last month, he issued a broader appeal for international oversight of advanced AI systems.Addressing relations between religion and the state, Leo defended religious freedom and argued that faith should remain part of public discourse.

He also reaffirmed the confidentiality of the Catholic seal of confession, which prohibits priests from disclosing information shared during confession.Several European countries have debated whether clergy should be legally required to report allegations of abuse disclosed during confessions following a series of sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church.

Leo said preserving the confidentiality of confession protected a sacred space of individual conscience and spiritual freedom.Although the Vatican has announced that the pope will meet victims of clerical abuse during his visit to Spain, Leo did not address the issue directly in his parliamentary speech.

The visit reflects the pope’s increasingly active engagement with global political debates, including war, migration, technology and the role of democratic institutions in addressing mounting international challenges.

The visit includes stops in Madrid, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Montserrat Monastery, and the Canary Islands.

The pope is expected to highlight the plight of migrants, meet asylum seekers in Tenerife, and call for dialogue amid growing political and social divisions worldwide. Vatican officials said he is also likely to speak against ongoing wars and rising polarization.

During the trip, Pope Leo will become the first pope to address the Spanish parliament. He is also scheduled to meet King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia and visit charitable organizations supporting vulnerable communities.

Protesters carrying Spanish flags and banners reading “Enough!” gathered in the capital following a call by Sociedad Civil Española, a coalition of more than 150 civic associations. The demonstration was backed by the conservative Alberto Núñez Feijóo-led Popular Party and the far-right Santiago Abascal party.

Organizers estimated attendance at around 80,000 people, while the central government’s representative in the Madrid region put the turnout at roughly half that figure. The march concluded near Plaza Moncloa, close to the prime minister’s official residence.

Speaking before the rally, Vox leader Abascal accused the government of being engulfed in corruption scandals, arguing that allegations involving individuals close to Sanchez had eroded public confidence in the administration.

The demonstration comes amid mounting scrutiny of figures linked to the prime minister. Sanchez’s brother, David Sanchez, is due to stand trial on influence-peddling charges, while his wife, Begona Gomez, remains under investigation in a separate corruption inquiry. Sanchez has repeatedly rejected the allegations and described the cases as politically motivated.

Pressure on the government has also increased following legal proceedings involving former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos, a longtime Sanchez ally whose corruption trial concluded earlier this month and is awaiting a verdict.

Adding to the political challenges facing the government, a Spanish court this week placed former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero under formal investigation for alleged influence peddling and other offenses. Zapatero has been regarded as a close ally of Sanchez within Spain’s Socialist movement.

Sanchez, who came to power in 2018 after a no-confidence vote removed a conservative government plagued by corruption scandals, has insisted he will remain in office despite growing opposition demands for early elections.

The rally underscored the increasingly polarized political climate in Spain, where corruption allegations have become a central battleground ahead of future electoral contests.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the Israeli charge d’affaires was called in to receive Madrid’s protest over what he described as the “unacceptable and intolerable” extension of the detention of Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish citizen of Palestinian origin detained after Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Greece last week.

An Israeli court has extended the detention of Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila until Sunday, despite calls from international rights groups and foreign governments for their release. Israeli authorities have not filed formal charges against either activist.

The flotilla was the second maritime initiative in the past year aimed at challenging Israel’s blockade on Gaza, where shortages of food, medicine, water and fuel have intensified during the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israeli forces intercepted the vessel and deported several activists to Europe while detaining Abu Keshek and Avila. Rights organizations have alleged the detainees were subjected to abuse while in custody, accusations Israeli authorities have denied.

The latest dispute underscores the widening rupture in relations between Spain and Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has repeatedly criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and previously described it as a “genocide,” a characterization Israel strongly rejects.

Diplomatic ties deteriorated further after Spain formally recognized a Palestinian state in 2024, prompting Israel to recall its ambassador from Madrid. Spain later dismissed its own ambassador to Tel Aviv in March.

The diplomatic clash coincided with Madrid’s decision to honor Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, with the Order of Civil Merit.

Sanchez’s office said Albanese was recognized for her work documenting alleged violations of international law in Gaza. Albanese has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide during the conflict, allegations Israel denies, accusing critics of antisemitism.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Albanese, accusing her of “biased and malicious” criticism of both Washington and Israel. Spain has urged the European Commission to prevent the U.S. sanctions from being enforced within the European Union.

France and Germany have also criticized Albanese and called for her resignation over remarks referring to a “common enemy of humanity,” although Albanese has denied that the statement was directed at Israel.

The blaze started late on Friday night at Burro Canaglia Bar&Resto, an Italian restaurant in the central neighbourhood of Salamanca.

An eyewitness told El Pais newspaper that the fire started after a waiter was flambeing a dish and the flames set fire to the ceiling and walls.

Diners struggled to flee as the blaze started near the main exit, emergency services said.

Spanish police are investigating the cause of the fire.