Europe27 September, 20262 min read
Pope Leo XIV Urges French Bishops in Lourdes to Continue Action Against Abuse of Minors
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Pope urged French bishops in Lourdes to continue action against abuse of minors. He would meet seven victims of sexual violence during the visit.
7 outlets told this the same way.
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Lourdes meeting and scrutiny
Pope Leo XIV urged French bishops in private in Lourdes on Sunday, September 27 to continue their action against abuse of minors, telling them, "We must continue on the path we have started, maintaining the utmost vigilance,". France 3 Régions said the pope was highly anticipated on the issue five years after the Ciase report estimated 330,000 minor victims in the Church since 1950, while the victims remained skeptical in the face of his statements.
“We are minimising the systemic nature of sexual violence.”
Marie Derain de Vaucresson told franceinfo that she regretted that collectives could not involve more victims in the meeting format, saying, "We are minimising the systemic nature of sexual violence." Alain Esquerre, spokesperson for the main victims’ collective from Bétharram, protested that the meeting selected individuals, saying, "These are individuals who are being chosen; we are disconnecting the collective."
Who was chosen
Pierre-Antoine Bozo, spokesperson for the Conference of Bishops of France, said at a press conference that the pope chose a small-group meeting with seven people, "selected based on fairly simple criteria: men and women". Bozo said the criteria aimed to ensure the most fair representation possible, and he described the pope himself choosing the small-group format with victims of abuse as minors or adults and in school, parish, or diocesan settings.
Marie Derain de Vaucresson told franceinfo that she understood the one-on-one format because "to exchange truly, you need a small number of people," but she argued that there were possibilities beyond seven people. The seven victims’ joint press release said, "Each person participates in this meeting in their own name, free to speak, to hold their beliefs and make their own choices," and it added they did not constitute "a delegation of the Church."
Mass, peace, and Europe
At Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass on the sanctuary’s meadow, where La Croix said approximately 150,000 faithful were expected to attend. La Croix quoted Leo XIV inviting the faithful and Christian communities to pray the Holy Rosary next October with the intention that wars cease, saying, "I invite all the faithful and all Christian communities to pray the Holy Rosary next October with the particular intention that wars cease and peace be established among the peoples in conflict."
Clarin said the pope began a four-day visit to France this Friday with expectations for messages on Europe, sexual abuse in the Church, euthanasia, and migration, and it noted the meeting with seven victims in Lourdes next Sunday. Clarin also said the visit came seven months before the French presidential elections on April 18 and May 2, 2027, with ultranationalist Marine Le Pen leading the polls, while it described the trip as testing the relationship between the Church and French laicism.