Pope Calls for Rooting Out Sexual Abuse Scourge During Lourdes Visit

Sun Sep 27 2026 22:18:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Pope Leo urges French bishops to root out sexual abuse in the church, calling for vigilance ahead of survivor meeting.

During a three‑day visit to France, Pope Leo XIV met privately with French bishops and urged them to eradicate the scourge of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. He called for maximum vigilance and highlighted a 2021 inquiry that found about 330,000 victims of clergy‑or‑lay abuse across 70 years in France. The pope addressed a large crowd at Lourdes before a later private meeting with survivors, reaffirming the church’s commitment to reform. He also welcomed young people, encouraging them to live out their faith openly, and completed a state visit with President Emmanuel Macron.

Pope Leo XIV urges French bishops to root out the scourge of sexual abuse during his Lourdes visit, demanding maximum vigilance ahead of a meeting with survivors.

In a closed session at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, the pontiff addressed senior church leaders, saying they had confronted the painful reality of abuse committed by clergy and within ecclesial contexts, and must persevere on a path of reform.

A 2021 inquiry revealed that clergy or lay members of the French Church abused about 330,000 children over seven decades, prompting the pope to call for sweeping action.

Following the private discussion, Pope Leo held Mass for thousands of worshippers in Lourdes before later meeting survivors face to face.

He also spoke to young people, praising their enthusiasm and urging them to let faith flourish publically, emphasizing that the church must avoid losing humanity.

The visit, France’s first for the newly elected pope, combined religious outreach with a state meeting with President Emmanuel Macron and highlighted a small resurgence in religious participation, such as a doubling of adult baptisms in recent years.