Barcelona activist Manuel Barbero has said Pope Leo XIV’s recent visit to Catalonia lacked humanity for victims of sexual abuse in the Church. Speaking by video conference, the founder of Mans Petites said the Pope missed a chance to address survivors directly and to acknowledge the Church’s failings.
Barbero’s son, Toni, was abused at Maristes de les Corts school in Barcelona by the gymnastics teacher Joaquín Benítez, between the ages of 13 and 15. Barbero said his case exposed years of abuse against children, and that the papal visit, which ended on 23 May, should have dealt with paedophilia and abuse more clearly.
“As a citizen of Barcelona, I think the Pope’s visit is a very positive thing for all of Spain, in general,” Barbero said. “For believers and non-believers, the relationship between the Spanish state and the Vatican is important. Now, if I have to assess it as an activist, unfortunately it was ill-fated. He did not speak of paedophilia, he did not speak of abuse.”
Barbero said the Pope should have spoken directly to victims and offered a clear apology. He argued that a message such as, “You have suffered abuse and we have failed you. We owe a debt to you and to all the people who have suffered,” would have shown real empathy rather than a political gesture.
He also criticised the new Spanish government commission on Church abuse, which includes the Episcopal Conference, the Spanish Ombudsman, the Ministry and victim associations. Barbero said it is the best model available for now, but he was unhappy that victims were not involved in shaping it. He said reparation must go beyond compensation and include support to rebuild lives, such as education or work placement.
Barbero said his son, now 32, still lives with the long-term effects of the abuse, including sleep problems and difficulty with everyday tasks. He also said Benítez began abusing children at Maristes in the 1980s, was imprisoned in 2022, and had been caught several times before that but only sent home for a month without work or pay. Barbero said concealment protected the aggressor and called for legal changes to prevent future abuse. More Catalonia news