Pope Leo XIV addressed a gathering of approximately 150,000 people near the Catholic shrine of Lourdes on Sunday during a four-day visit to France, calling for the church to reckon with its past. The pontiff spoke of the need to heal “deep wounds, infidelities and painful errors” within the institution, though he did not directly name the sexual abuse scandals involving French clergy that reportedly affected at least 330,000 children over seven decades.
Following the open-air mass at Lourdes, the pope met privately with seven survivors of child sexual abuse perpetrated by French clergy members. The survivors indicated the pontiff had listened to their accounts, demonstrated familiarity with their cases, and acknowledged that additional work was required to address the situation. Five of the seven survivors subsequently held a press conference, with survivor Jean-Marie Delbos describing the encounter as extraordinary.
During his remarks to the faithful, the pope also articulated the Catholic Church’s teachings regarding medically assisted dying, characterizing it as immoral “false compassion.” The statement came after France adopted legislation last month permitting incurably ill adults to access aid in dying, making it one of a small number of nations with comparable laws.
The pontiff’s visit occurred against the backdrop of significant institutional reckoning. A landmark 2021 independent inquiry estimated that 330,000 children had been subjected to sexual abuse by Catholic clergy or other church representatives over seven decades. France’s Catholic bishops conference subsequently agreed to provide compensation. Additionally, a survivor group released an open letter expressing concerns that the carefully selected meetings would prove insufficient, and noted that artist Marko Rupnik, facing trial in Vatican court on abuse allegations, had created mosaics at Lourdes that were ordered covered by the local bishop.
Lourdes, located in southwestern France near the Spanish border, is among the world’s most significant Catholic pilgrimage sites, attracting approximately 3 million visitors annually. The visit marked the first official papal visit to France in 18 years.
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