Pope meets French abuse survivors as they press for action
Seven survivors met Pope Leo XIV privately in Lourdes. They said they felt heard, while stressing that his commitment must lead to concrete action.
Pope Leo XIV met seven adult survivors of clerical child abuse in Lourdes on Sunday, during a four-day visit to France. The Vatican said he thanked them for their testimony and reaffirmed his commitment to ending abuse by Catholic priests and reforming the Church.
The private meeting lasted about two hours. Survivors later described it as emotional and said they felt heard, but hoped the pope’s words would be followed by action. One survivor said Leo recognised the abuse’s systemic dimension within the Church.
The meeting took place amid continuing scrutiny of the Church’s record in France. A 2021 independent inquiry found that about 330,000 children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over seven decades.
At a Mass attended by an estimated 150,000 people, Leo said the Church must have the courage to face its past. Survivor Véronique Garnier said he referred to abuse without directly apologising; she found that troubling, though said the private meeting gave her hope for change.
Leo also addressed abuse scandals at a closed-door meeting with French bishops, according to a Vatican-provided text. The Vatican statement reported a renewed commitment, but gave no specific measures or timetable for carrying it out.
