Pope Leo urged the Catholic Church on Sunday to acknowledge its shortcomings and work toward healing the "deep wounds" within the institution, hours before a scheduled meeting with survivors of clerical sexual abuse in France.
Addressing the faithful in Lourdes
Speaking before an estimated 150,000 people gathered near the Marian shrine at Lourdes, the pontiff said the church must summon the courage to face its history. He did not explicitly single out the French abuse scandals in his public remarks, but his message underscored a call for humility and reform.
"In order 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 trip to France is a whirlwind, four-day, three-city visit during which the pope has also addressed broader global concerns such as the development of artificial intelligence. He drew large crowds in Paris on Saturday, including about 800,000 attendees for an outdoor Mass on the Champs-Élysées, according to Vatican figures.
Meeting survivors and confronting a national scandal
Local church leaders in France are looking to the pope to help restore credibility after a landmark 2021 report found that about 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and lay leaders over seven decades. That report sparked national shock and a wave of scrutiny of clerical conduct across the country.
In a closed-door session with French bishops earlier on Sunday, Pope Leo did explicitly acknowledge the problem of abuse within the clergy. A Vatican-provided text quoted him referring to "the painful scourge of abuse committed against minors by members of the clergy," and he urged bishops to continue strengthening safeguarding measures.
He thanked the bishops for what he described as the "courageous measures" they had taken to confront the scandal and pressed them to maintain vigilance in protecting children and vulnerable people within church institutions.
Survivors' expectations and the pope's previous apologies
While the pope has previously offered apologies for abuse scandals that have damaged the Catholic Church's standing globally, some victims and advocacy groups have remained skeptical that papal visits and statements will lead to concrete, systemic change.
On this trip, Pope Leo is scheduled to hold direct meetings with abuse survivors in France. Church officials hope his presence and words will help mend trust, even as they confront the long-term institutional consequences of the revelations documented in the 2021 report.
- 150,000 — estimated crowd at Lourdes event
- 800,000 — outdoor Mass attendance in Paris
- 330,000 — number of French children the 2021 report said were abused over seven decades
| Event | Figure |
|---|---|
| Lourdes crowd | 150,000 |
| Paris Mass attendance | 800,000 |
| Children identified in 2021 report | 330,000 |
Pope Leo's remarks in Lourdes and his private talks with bishops signal a two-track approach: public appeals for spiritual renewal combined with targeted conversations about policy and safeguarding. Observers say the pope's ability to translate moral exhortation into enforceable, institutional changes will be a key test of his leadership on the issue.
The pope's itinerary in France will see him pressing both pastoral and policy themes. French church officials have been urged to bolster protective measures and to remain transparent as they confront past abuses and implement reforms.
As the visit continues, survivors, advocates and church authorities will be watching whether the pontiff's words, both public and private, prompt measurable steps that address the scale of abuse documented in the 2021 investigation and restore confidence among the faithful.
