Overview
- The Spanish Episcopal Conference opened its plenary by considering a general decree to punish clergy who commit sexual abuse under church law, separate from any criminal case.
- Conference president Luis Argüello shared no details of the draft and said the bishops could vote on it during the assembly.
- Argüello said the Church supports the January agreement that set up a state path for redress, while arguing the government fails to credit payments already made through PRIVA, the Church’s 2024 program.
- Under that agreement, the Justice Ministry has started receiving victim applications and the national Ombudsman has created a unit to review claims and propose compensation.
- The Ombudsman has suggested including victims from children’s care centers and noted that tax deductions would require a public authority to certify who qualifies as a victim.