The arrival of Pope John Paul XIV in Spain this Saturday coincides with the implementation of the agreement between the Church and the State for the reparation of victims of sexual abuse by the Church, which contemplates compensation, although a possible meeting between the Pontiff and affected individuals remains unconfirmed.
Different victim associations have requested that the Pope hold a private meeting during his stay in Madrid. The groups maintain that the meeting would be an essential gesture of recognition and reparation, and have warned that his absence would be interpreted as a lack of respect towards the affected individuals.
Some spokespersons have criticized that the Pontiff addresses major global issues in his public interventions while, as they claim, the Church does not sufficiently address internal abuse cases.
From the Holy See, it has been indicated that, at the moment, a private meeting between the Pope and abuse victims is not planned during this trip. This lack of confirmation has generated discontent among the groups, which have announced public protest actions if there is no change in the agenda.
Mobilization of victim associations in Spain
Several organizations have called for protest events and public appearances in Madrid to express their dissatisfaction with the absence of an official response.
The first whistleblower in the abuse case at Montserrat and spokesperson for the 'Integral Reparation Now' movement, Miguel Hurtado, requested a meeting with Pope John Paul XIV during his visit to Spain this Tuesday. He warned that, if it did not happen, he would consider it a "profound lack of respect."
Hurtado asked for a clear response from the Vatican regarding the possibility of the meeting and set a deadline until Friday to receive an answer. In his statements to the media, in front of the Apostolic Nunciature in Madrid, he insisted on the importance of meeting with victims during the Pontiff's visit.
"The first thing is, is the Pope going to meet with the victims? Yes or no? We are going to wait until Friday to receive an answer from the Vatican. We believe that if the Pope visits Spain without us having a scheduled meeting with the Pontiff, it would be a profound lack of respect that we will not consent to or tolerate," he stated in declarations to the media in front of the Spanish Apostolic Nunciature in Madrid.
Along the same lines, the spokesperson for the National Association of Stolen Childhood (ANIR), Juan Cuatrecasas, stated in declarations to Europa Press that it would be neither fair nor humane for the pope not to receive the victims during his visit to Spain.
Cuatrecasas explained that he sent a letter to both the Apostolic Nunciature and the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors requesting information about a possible meeting with the Pontiff, but states that he has not received any response.
Given this situation, he indicated that ANIR, along with other organizations such as LULACRIS, Justice Initiative Spain, and the Association of Victims of Navarra (AVA), has called for a public protest action on Monday, June 8, in front of the Apostolic Nunciature. T
he call coincides with the day the pope is scheduled to meet with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the organizers have announced that they will appear before the media starting at 09:00 to express their discontent.
The stance of the Episcopal Conference
From the Spanish Episcopal Conference, it has been recalled that the pope cannot meet with all the associations that request it during his trips and that he has already held previous meetings with victims in other contexts.
The cardinal archbishop of Madrid and vice-president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), José Cobo, stated this Wednesday that the pope will not be able to meet during his visit to Spain with all the people and groups who have requested it.
Cobo explained that there are numerous requests for meetings with the Pontiff and that it will be the Vatican, along with the papal delegation, who will evaluate and organize possible meetings. He added that the pope has already met with victims on other occasions and that these contacts may be repeated in the future.
Omella denies cover-ups in abuse cases
In parallel, the cardinal archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella, has denied covering up reports of sexual abuse in the Church. In public statements, he has assured that in the cases he has known, he has acted in accordance with established norms.
Omella has responded in this way to reports that point to possible cover-ups by high-ranking ecclesiastical officials, stating that he does not recognize himself in these accusations and that his actions have been correct at all times.