Spanish bishops speak out after leaks of their meeting with Leo XIV

The executive committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, (CEE, by its Spanish acronym) meeting in Madrid this week, issued an official statement regarding the leaks about its meeting with Pope Leo XIV that recently appeared in various media outlets.

The newspaper El País published an article on Feb. 23 titled “The pope warned the bishops that his greatest concern in Spain is the far right that is trying to ‘instrumentalize the Church.’”

The article alluded to alleged comments made by the pope during the meeting with the nine members of the CEE’s executive committee on Nov. 17, 2025, at the Vatican, according to “two sources familiar with what transpired at the meeting.”

Numerous media outlets, based on the article published by El País, replicated the content with similar headlines, and some, such as Vida Nueva, added nuances to what the pope said, citing people who “were present at that meeting.”

According to its website, Nueva Vida (New Life) “is a weekly religious news magazine that aims to be a committed voice within the Church.”

Meanwhile, other media outlets have published information that contradicts the initial reports.

Citing “more than two members of the executive committee, and some other prelates familiar with what was said at the meeting,” Religión Confidencial stated that the issue was not raised at the pope’s initiative but rather at the suggestion of one of the Spanish prelates and that the pontiff merely explained a general framework of doctrine regarding the Church’s relationship with politics.

El Debate, more emphatically, headlined: “Clearly, the pope’s greatest concern in Spain is not the far right but evangelization,” citing “episcopal sources who are well aware of what happened at the Vatican on Nov. 17.”

In response to all these publications, the executive committee of the CEE issued a statement on Feb. 24, noting that “Pope Leo XIV received us with special affection, listened to the presentations of all the members of the committee, and encouraged us in the evangelizing mission to which the Church in Spain is committed.”

“The Holy Father also encouraged us to foster communion among all the members and institutions that make up the Church,” the bishops continued.

Regarding the issue that sparked the cascade of diverse reports, the CEE explained that “in the dialogue, the Holy Father reflected, among other things, on the risks of subjecting faith to ideologies, without mentioning any specific group.”

Finally, the prelates express their “respect for and support of the pope and welcome his call to evangelizing communion in the society in which we live, with all its challenges.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.