Leo called on Catholic clergy to develop a "culture of care" to fight the "scourge of abuse." The pontiff also spoke to Spain's parliament where he emphasized dignity for all people, including migrants.

Pope Leo XIV told Catholic bishops in Spain on Monday that the church must listen to abuse victims and offer them reparations.

The meeting with Catholic bishops is the latest stop in the pope's week-long tour of Spain. It is his first trip to a European Union member outside of Italy.

A report released by Spain's human rights ombudsman in 2023 found that the Spanish clergy had sexually abused 200,000 children. The CEE apologized for the abuse but disputed figures cited in that report.

"Faced with this scourge, the ecclesial community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation and an ever more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care," Leo said in an address to the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE).

"Every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection and real paths to healing," Leo said.

The Spanish government and the Catholic Church earlier this year signed a deal to provide compensation to the victims of sexual abuse in church-run institutions.

The pope also met with six survivors who experienced sexual abuse by the church.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope listened to the survivors with "affection and attention."

Some organizations representing survivors held a demo outside the Vatican's embassy in Madrid and said they were not informed about the meeting.