Key facts
- Pope Leo met with seven French abuse survivors during his visit to France.
- The Pope reaffirmed his commitment to ending child abuse by Catholic priests.
- Survivors said Pope Leo listened to them and was informed of their cases.
- A 2021 report found that about 330,000 children were abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders in France over seven decades.
- Pope Leo urged the Church to admit its failings and heal its "deep wounds."
Pope Leo met with seven French survivors of clergy abuse on Sunday, reaffirming his commitment to ending the harm caused by Catholic priests. The meeting, part of his four-day visit to France, followed a Mass in Lourdes where the pontiff urged the Church to confront its past and heal its "deep wounds."
During the two-hour private meeting, Pope Leo met individually with each survivor, listened to their testimonies, and received proposals for improving the Church's safeguarding measures. A Vatican statement indicated he thanked them for their "painful testimony" and pledged to prevent future harm. Survivors described the encounter as emotional and touching, feeling heard and impressed by his compassion and knowledge of their cases, though some expressed skepticism about the pace of change.
A 2021 report revealed that approximately 330,000 children had been abused by clergy and lay leaders in France over seven decades. Pope Leo also discussed the abuse scandals in a closed-door meeting with French bishops, urging them to strengthen safeguarding efforts. The visit has drawn large crowds, with an estimated 150,000 people attending the Mass in Lourdes and 800,000 at a previous Mass in Paris.