The pope has called on the Catholic Church to heal “deep wounds” and “painful errors” ahead of a meeting with survivors of child sexual abuse, as he continues his four-day visit to France. Speaking to a crowd in a large field near the Catholic shrine of Lourdes on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV urged the Church to confront its past, without directly mentioning the sexual abuse scandals in France that affected at least 330,000 children over seven decades. “To heal the deep wounds, infidelities, and painful errors that have occurred within [the Church], we must humbly place ourselves under the Lord’s purifying gaze,” the first US pope told the crowd of about 150,000 people. Leo is scheduled to meet privately on Sunday with seven survivors of child sexual abuse by French clergy, after leading an open-air morning mass at Lourdes, one of the most popular Catholic pilgrimage sites and known as a place of healing. Earlier on Sunday, meeting with French bishops, Leo said they had acted with determination against “the painful scourge of abuse committed against minors by members of the clergy or in an ecclesial context.” He urged them “to continue along the path you have begun, maintaining the greatest vigilance,” according to a transcript of his remarks released by the Vatican. Arriving at Lourdes in a white popemobile on Saturday night, Leo would have been reminded of the Church’s dark and painful legacy as he passed boarded-up mosaics by a Jesuit priest accused of abusing more than two dozen women over three decades. Marko Rupnik, one of the Catholic Church’s best-known mosaic artists, is on trial in a Vatican court, accused by more than two dozen women of psychological, spiritual, and sexual abuse from the 1990s, including during the creation of his artworks. The bishop of Lourdes ordered the works covered up, reasoning that abuse survivors seeking comfort at the site should not be forced to see them. Rupnik is not known to have commented publicly on the allegations, Reuters reported. Among the survivors who will meet the pope is a former pupil of the nearby Catholic boarding school Notre-Dame de Bétharram, whose former students have described experiences of violence, rape, and sexual assault in what is thought to be the biggest child sexual abuse scandal at a school in French history. In an interview published last year, the pope spoke of the “crisis” of clerical sexual abuse in the Church. He also said “victims must be treated with great respect and with an understanding that those who have suffered very deep wounds because of abuse sometimes carry those wounds for their entire life,” according to a transcript on Vatican News, the Holy See’s official news site. The first official papal visit to France in 18 years follows last week’s announcement by the country’s Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation that about 2,000 people who reported sexual abuse by clergy or other church representatives were seeking reparations. France’s Catholic bishops conference agreed to provide compensation after a landmark report in 2021 estimated that 330,000 children were sexually abused over seven decades by predatory priests or other Catholic figures. The two-and-a-half-year independent inquiry found that vast numbers of children were subjected to sexual violence by priests and clergy, and that the crimes were covered up in a “systemic way” by a delOn the day Leo arrived in Paris, a group of survivors published an open letter expressing fears that his visit would change nothing. They criticized the seven people he was due to meet in Lourdes as “carefully selected” by the church rather than by survivors’ groups.
Carmelite nuns attend mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV in Lourdes, France. Photograph: Valentine Chapuis/AFP/Getty Images
“You will merely ask us for forgiveness. This is not enough. One does not ask for forgiveness for a crime; one is responsible for a crime,” they wrote in the letter published in the newspaper Libération.
The pope arrived to celebrate mass on Sunday morning to an ecstatic welcome from the faithful, who waved flags and cheered as they crowded the streets of Lourdes to catch a glimpse of him. The Holy See’s live stream showed Leo making a stately procession in his popemobile, frequently stopping to greet and bless babies handed up to him.
The south-western town near the Spanish border is one of the most important Catholic sites in the world, attracting 3 million pilgrims a year. The Associated Press reported that the pope’s visit had caused accommodation prices to soar, with some one-night hotel stays costing more than €2,000 (£1,700). In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Pope Leo and the Meeting with Child Sexual Abuse Survivors in France
Beginner Questions
Who is Pope Leo
Pope Leo is the head of the Catholic Church In this context he is the pope who called for healing of deep wounds before meeting with survivors of child sexual abuse in France
What did Pope Leo say about the abuse crisis
He acknowledged that the Church carries deep wounds caused by child sexual abuse and called for healing repentance and concrete action ahead of his meeting with survivors
Who are the survivors he is meeting
They are people who were sexually abused as children often by clergy or Church personnel and who have come forward to seek justice acknowledgment and healing
Why is this meeting happening in France
France has faced major abuse scandals and a landmark 2021 report by the Sauvé Commission estimated over 200000 victims since 1950 The meeting is part of the Churchs response to that crisis
What does healing of deep wounds mean
It means addressing the longlasting harm abuse causesemotional psychological and spiritualand taking steps toward apology justice prevention and support for victims
Intermediate Questions
Why is a papal meeting with survivors significant
It signals acknowledgment at the highest level of the Church For many survivors it is a rare chance to be heard directly by Church leadership
What are survivors typically asking for
Recognition of what happened sincere apologies financial compensation access to Church files prevention of future abuse and a role in shaping reforms
What common problems do these meetings face
Survivors often feel the meetings are symbolic rather than substantive Common criticisms include lack of followup insufficient transparency and inadequate compensation
How has the Church responded to abuse in France
The Church established independent commissions created compensation funds and introduced safeguarding policies Critics say implementation and accountability remain uneven
What practical steps help survivors heal
Therapy and counseling support groups spiritual accompaniment public acknowledgment and having their voices included in reform decisions
Advanced Questions
What is the Sauvé Commission Report
An independent French commission that in 2021 found widespread abuse in the Catholic Church in France since 1950 estimating about 216000 victims with the number rising to around 330
