Pope Leo XIV Calls on French Catholics to Intensify Battle Against Clergy Abuse

During an open‑air Mass in Lourdes on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV urged the Catholic Church to own its shortcomings and take decisive action against sexual abuse, marking another leg of his French pilgrimage.

Having drawn nearly 800,000 faithful in Paris the day before, the pope was welcomed by additional throngs in Lourdes, where roughly 150,000 gathered for the Sunday Mass.

In his homily, Leo called on the Church to assume responsibility for misconduct among its members.

“The Church must summon the courage to lead this conversion. To mend the deep wounds, the infidelities and painful deviations that have occurred within its ranks, we must humbly submit ourselves to the Lord’s purifying gaze,” he said.

“Recognizing our own shortcomings is vital to our spiritual growth,” he added.

Pope Leo XIV Meets French Bishops Amid Ongoing Scrutiny Over Abuse

Earlier that Sunday, Leo held a private meeting with France’s bishops, commending their work tackling sexual abuse while urging continued vigilance.

“In recent years, you have confronted with determination the painful scourge of minor abuse perpetrated by clergy or within ecclesiastical settings,” he told them, according to Vatican‑released remarks.

“You have responded with courageous measures—listening, pursuing truth, justice, forgiveness, reparation, and a steadfast commitment to a culture of prevention and protection against these crimes.”

The pope encouraged the bishops to persist in their efforts while also extending support to the clergy.

“It is essential to stay the course with utmost vigilance; simultaneously, your clergy requires support and encouragement, which I know remains a priority of your fatherly care,” he said.

Survivors Challenge the Selection Process for the Papal Meeting

The pope also planned to meet seven survivors of clerical sexual abuse on Sunday, among them an individual who was victimized as an adult.

Nevertheless, the meeting has attracted criticism from certain survivors who questioned the selection criteria for participants.

In an open letter published by the French newspaper Libération on the day the pope arrived in Paris, a coalition of survivors urged him to recognize the Church’s responsibility and condemned the decision to let church officials choose the attendees instead of entrusting the process to survivor organizations.

“The Church must abandon its dual role as both judge and party in these proceedings,” they wrote.

Monsignor Pierre-Antoine Bozo, spokesperson for the French bishops’ conference, noted that two of the seven participants had been nominated by survivor organizations.

He explained that the pope intentionally selected a small group to facilitate a more personal dialogue.

“When listening to them, you cannot have fifty people before you,” Bozo said.

“Thus, I believe the pope’s aim was to listen, enabling us to act and respond more effectively,” he said.

France’s Catholic Church Faces Its Abuse Legacy

The French Catholic Church has come under intense scrutiny regarding its handling of sexual abuse.

An independent investigation released in 2021 estimated that roughly 330,000 children were sexually abused over a seventy‑year span by priests, other church workers, and individuals affiliated with Catholic institutions.

The report identified about 3,000 alleged perpetrators among priests and church workers.

Despite criticism of the report’s methodology and conclusions, the French bishops set up an independent compensation system for survivors.

To date, the system has recommended that the church pay upwards of €20 million in compensation.

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