The Catholic Church, the Spanish Government and the People’s Ombudsman have agreed that Etiquette to compensate abuse victims after difficult negotiations began last January.
The agreement does not establish specific criteria for financial compensation – neither minimum nor maximum – as it is not intended to be the only path to compensation. Furthermore, as agreed by the signatories, it aims to address each case on an individual basis.
The signing of the new protocol, which will come into force on 15 April, took place on 30 March at the Office of the Ombudsman. The ceremony was attended by the President of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym), Archbishop Luis Arguello; President of the Spanish Confederation of Religious (CONFER, by its Spanish acronym), Dominican Father Jesús DÃaz Sarriego; Minister for Relations with the Presidency, Justice and the Cortes (Legislature), Félix Bolaños; and the People’s Ombudsman, Angel Gabilondo.
Alluding to the litigation season, Arguello began his remarks by expressing hope that the settlement would help “alleviate the passion (pain) of so many victims of abuse,” especially those whose cases have passed the statute of limitations or whose abusers have died.
The bishop stressed that this new system is an extension of efforts made by Church institutions over the years, efforts that took concrete form more than a year ago in the PRIVA plan for comprehensive reparations for abuse victims. The scheme has already resolved more than a hundred cases, providing financial compensation totaling 2.5 million euros ($2.86 million) to more than 80 individuals, among other measures.
Under this new protocol, the system implemented by the Catholic Church “is never replaced; rather, it is complemented by cooperation with public authorities,” an arrangement whose concrete implementation has been delayed beyond initial expectations, yet Arguello sees it as “an opportunity for cooperation while naturally respecting the scope and jurisdiction” of each signatory institution.
Saarigo commented that “an agreement – ​​even if imperfect – is better than no agreement at all” and expressed hope that the day would “help ease the pain and suffering that we know is so great and so deep.”
Bolanos said it is a model that “involves victims”, that “guarantees comprehensive compensation” and that is structured as “a collaborative effort”; However, he stressed that in the event of disagreement between experts on the Catholic Church’s PRIVA plan and the team appointed by the People’s Ombudsman, “the state will have the final say”.
Bolaños also praised the work of experts appointed by the Catholic Church and acknowledged, “even though the PRIVA scheme involved an ‘original sin’,” namely, that it was the Church itself that determined how much compensation victims of abuse within its own ranks would receive, a factor that caused “many victims to lack confidence in the system.”
During his remarks, Gabilondo said the signatories had debated “every comma” of the 14-page protocol. When asked about the difficulties encountered during the process, he said, “I don’t remember anything that wasn’t complicated, nor anything that proved insurmountable.”
end of a phase
The signing of the protocol marks the conclusion of a phase that began in March 2022, when the legislature tasked the ombudsman with investigating abuses within the Catholic Church. In October 2023, the Ombudsman submitted its report, which included a recommendation to establish a state-run compensation system.
In April 2024, the executive branch approved an implementation plan for the measures proposed by the Ombudsman, a plan that the CEE rejected on the grounds that it was “based on a judgment condemning the entire Church, presented without any form of legal safeguards” and “the State was publicly targeting the Church in a discriminatory manner.”
Despite this rejection, a preliminary agreement was reached in January 2026, an agreement that reportedly included the Vatican Secretariat of State, as acknowledged by both Arguello and Bolaños. The minister confirmed on 30 March that on 20 March he held another meeting at the Vatican Secretariat of State in Rome with the King and Queen of Spain, who were welcomed by Pope Leo XIV.
How will the system work
Effective April 15, any victim of abuse within the Church can contact the office established for this purpose within the Ministry for Relations with the Presidency, Justice and the Cortes, which will forward information to the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman’s Victims Unit will review the case within a maximum period of three months – this can be extended by an additional month if necessary. If the case is accepted, the Ombudsman’s Victims Unit will submit a proposal for redress to the PRIVA Scheme Advisory Commission, which will have a maximum of two months to evaluate it and respond.
After this, the Lokpal will have 15 days to convey this assessment to the victim.
If all parties agree, the decision will be considered final. Otherwise, the dispute will be referred to a joint body consisting of representatives from the Ombudsman, CEE and Confer, as well as associations of abuse victims, who will have an additional 15 days to reach a solution.
If no agreement is still reached, “the Ombudsman and representatives of Church institutions will make a final attempt to reach consensus within a maximum period of one month.”
Ultimately, it will be the Ombudsman’s Victims Unit that will make the decision, which the Catholic Church must abide by.
this story was first published By ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language affiliate of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
