Everything in its place

Many talk show hosts and journalists felt that the Pope’s speeches at the Royal Palace or before Parliament during his visit to Spain in June. However, Leon XIV proved to be a man of great courage and a rigorous mindset: each issue requires its own space, and this one had to be addressed face-to-face with his brothers in the episcopate and, in a counter-programmed manner, with the victims themselves.

Yago de la Cierva himself—who was ultimately responsible for organizing this apostolic trip—recently recalled in a interview In a conversation with Gonzalo Giráldez on his YouTube channel “Nivel 256,” he noted that the Church has acknowledged on numerous occasions that it handled this issue very poorly in the past—a lesson it often learned through reports in the press. Benedict XVI acknowledged this, as did Pope Francis, and now Leo XIV has once again firmly reiterated it before the plenary session of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

The Church's Challenge

There, the Pontiff urged the bishops to assume a “special responsibility” for healing wounds, delivering a resounding and uncompromising message:

“Our journey is made up of encounters; among them will surely be those who are going through dark times and who call on us to become Good Samaritans. One of the deepest sorrows is that of those who have been hurt precisely by those who were supposed to care for them, including members of the clergy. In the face of this scourge, the Church community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation, and an ever-stronger commitment to prevention and a culture of care. Every person who has been hurt must find a sincere ear, protection, and real paths to healing.”.

It is undeniable that the Church has made a 180-degree turn to become a safe institution for minors. It is possible that this change has been accelerated by external pressure and has not occurred as quickly as we all would have liked. But, as de la Cierva pointed out, the real challenge today is of a much greater magnitude:

The rest of the board

“What we Catholics believe is that it makes no sense to be extremely harsh on the Church —which is responsible for approximately 3 % of child abuse cases in Spain—while failing to be radically strict in protecting against the remaining 97 %, which occurs in families, schools, sports teams, physical therapy clinics, or hospitals. I think the pressure on the Church is very good, because without it, nothing would have changed; but I’m disappointed that the country’s authorities haven’t decided to eradicate this scourge where the vast majority of cases occur.”.

This profound reflection calls for a collective examination of conscience. No one denies the gravity of the scourge to which His Holiness referred, but society cannot afford to oversimplify the issue if it truly wants to tackle the problem. The Church must take responsibility for its 3 %, because its inescapable vocation is to be a place of absolute safety, a “visible sign of communion” faithful to its faith and in harmony with its community. But the rest of the picture remains there, hidden behind the political noise, waiting for someone to dare to put everything in its proper place once and for all.