Pope Visits Spain, Praises Migration Policy and Addresses Church Abuse
Pope Leo praised Spain's migration policies and met with officials during a visit that began Saturday. He also discussed sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church and a compensation agreement reached in March.
vaticannews.vaPope Leo spoke at a reception hosted by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at Madrid's royal palace on Saturday evening. He praised Spain's active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples and its adherence to international law and multilateralism.
Migration is set to play a key role in the visit. The Pope will travel to the Canary Islands to pay tribute to migrants who have died while attempting to reach Europe. Nearly 47,000 people arrived on the islands in 2024, though more than 9,000 migrants are thought to have died on the way.
Spain offered legal status to 500,000 migrants earlier this year. Massive queues formed across the country in April as the mass migrant amnesty programme officially started. Thousands of undocumented migrants lined up at more than 400 registration points.
A right-wing party leader accused the coalition of accelerating an invasion of Spain. The party's spokesman warned the amnesty attacks national identity and said the party would seek to block it through an appeal to the Supreme Court.
During the week-long visit, Pope Leo will meet victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. The Spanish Government and Catholic Church reached a compensation agreement in March following years of criticism that religious leaders had failed to address the problem.
A 2023 investigation by Spain's ombudsman estimated that 440,000 people had suffered abuse by clergy or Church-linked individuals. The Church has disputed these figures. King Felipe praised the Pope's clarity and firmness on the matter, calling it essential in the process of healing and reparation.
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