Montserrat abbot apologizes to abuse victims amid calls for resignation

The father abbot of Montserrat has apologized to the victims of priest Andreu Soler, accused by at least five men of sexually abusing them when they were part of the monastery scouts.

"I apologize to the victims," said Josep Maria Soler in his homily on Sunday, and added that the stories coming to light "are painful because they undermine our trust."

The monastery of Montserrat set up an independent committee to review the alleged cases of sexual abuse over a week ago, after Miguel Hurtado said he was abused by Soler in the 1990s when he was part of the scouts.

More alleged victims went public following Hurtado’s example and accused Soler of abusing them. The victims have reported cases spanning from the early 1970s to the late 1990s.