Camille Naredo

This handout photo taken and released on June 6, 2026 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV delivering a speech to media onboard the plane heading to Madrid. Elisabetta Trevisan, Vatican Media via AFP

This handout photo taken and released on June 6, 2026 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV delivering a speech to media onboard the plane heading to Madrid. Pope Leo XIV is visiting Spain June 6-12 with stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, where he will meet with migrants and organisations dedicated to helping them. (Photo by Elisabetta Trevisan / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / VATICAN MEDIA" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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POPE LEO

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780740677883AFP__20260606__B6838KE__v1__HighRes__SpainVaticanDiplomacyReligionPope.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="This handout photo taken and released on June 6, 2026 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV delivering a speech to media onboard the plane heading to Madrid. Elisabetta Trevisan, Vatican Media via AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This handout photo taken and released on June 6, 2026 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV delivering a speech to media onboard the plane heading to Madrid. <em>Elisabetta Trevisan, Vatican Media via AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>MADRID, Spain -- Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said sexual abuse within the Catholic Church remained &quot;an open wound&quot; as he began a trip to Spain that will include a meeting with victims.</p><p>The 70-year-old&#x27;s week-long state visit -- the first by a pontiff to Spain since 2010 -- kicked off at Madrid airport, where King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed him.</p><p>He is due to meet some victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, the Vatican said, with Leo telling reporters on the papal plane upon arrival that the issue was &quot;still an open wound&quot;.</p><p>Some 200,000 minors are estimated to have suffered abuse in Spain since 1940, according to a 2023 report from Spain&#x27;s national ombudsman.</p><p>Sanchez&#x27;s government and the Catholic Church in Spain signed an agreement in March to compensate victims after years of reticence and opacity from the Church hierarchy.</p><p>A reception of pomp and ceremony was scheduled at Madrid&#x27;s royal palace on Saturday before a prayer vigil near Real Madrid&#x27;s Santiago Bernabeu stadium where 400,000 mostly young people are expected.</p><p>Leo told journalists on the plane he was &quot;very pleased by the reports&quot; that young people were increasingly interested in the Catholic Church.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/5/25/pope-urges-disarming-of-artificial-intelligence-in-major-manifesto-1835">READ: Pope urges &#x27;disarming&#x27; of artificial intelligence in major manifesto</a></div><p>&quot;They realize there&#x27;s an emptiness, and a lack of a sense of meaning, and perhaps my visiting is helping to awaken even further something,&quot; he said.</p><p>His arrival in Madrid coincides with a series of concerts by Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny, with some observers pointing to youth being torn between spirituality and music.</p><p>&quot;I think many will see Bad Bunny. But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope. And that says something,&quot; Leo said of the conflicting loyalties.</p><div><br/></div><p><strong>- Focus on migration </strong>-</p><p>The pope also expressed concern about Ukraine as Russia&#x27;s invasion grinds through its fifth year.</p><p>&quot;I am worried about Ukraine, every time the situation gets worse... It&#x27;s been four and a half years. We need to find a solution,&quot; Leo said.</p><p>On Sunday, around a million people are set to attend a Mass in Madrid city center.</p><p>During his trip, Leo will make a speech to the Spanish parliament and bless the new tower of the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona -- now the world&#x27;s tallest church.</p><p>In the Canary Islands on Thursday and Friday, Leo will meet migrants and the organizations helping them and will be joined by Sanchez to honor thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach Europe.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/5/26/pope-apologizes-for-vatican-role-in-justifying-slavery-1543">READ: Pope apologizes for Vatican role in justifying slavery</a></div><p>The Canaries -- Spanish islands off the coast of west Africa -- have become the main entry point for irregular migrants into Spain after long and dangerous trips from Africa.</p><p>The UN&#x27;s International Organization for Migration estimates 1,172 migrants died or went missing along the route in 2025 -- a figure only slightly lower than the 1,215 people in 2024.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Polarized country&#x27; -</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QrHNX4XFPg4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>In contrast with many of its European allies, Spain under Sanchez&#x27;s left-wing government has a relatively liberal immigration policy.</p><p>But the government is under pressure from the main conservative Popular Party and far-right, anti-immigration Vox, the third political force in the country.</p><p>Leo XIV &quot;is arriving in a polarized country where different players could try to take advantage of the visit&quot;, said Rafael Rubio, the Church&#x27;s spokesman for the Spanish visit.</p><p>&quot;Ensuring that his message reaches everyone and speaks to everyone is a major challenge,&quot; he said.</p><p>Some 15,000 members of the national police and Guardia Civil are being deployed for the visit, alongside local police forces.</p><p>Leo&#x27;s predecessor Francis largely overlooked many of Europe&#x27;s traditional bastions of Catholicism where, like Spain, religious observance has been falling rapidly. </p>

<p>Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said sexual abuse within the Catholic Church remained "an open wound" as he began a trip to Spain that will include a meeting with victims. </p>

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said sexual abuse within the Catholic Church remained "an open wound" as he began a trip to Spain that will include a meeting with victims.

Pope says Church abuse 'still an open wound' as Spain trip begins

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Pope says Church abuse 'still an open wound' as Spain trip begins

Diego Urdaneta,

Agence France-Presse

Published June 06, 2026 07:00 PM PHT

Read More:

Madrid

Spain

Pope Leo

Catholic Church

sexual abuse

King Felipe VI

Queen Letizia

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez

Vatican

religion

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