Pope Leo XIV Calls on French Church to Own Failings and Renew Fight Against Clerical Sexual Abuse

Pope Leo XIV urged the Catholic Church to confront its failures and tackle clerical sexual abuse head-on as he celebrated an open-air Mass in Lourdes on Sunday, the latest stop on his visit to France.

After drawing nearly 800,000 people in Paris the day before, the pontiff was again met by large crowds in Lourdes, where around 150,000 people attended the Mass.

In his homily the pope stressed the need for institutional humility and ongoing reform. He told the faithful that the Church must lead by example in recognizing and remedying wrongdoing within its ranks.

"The Church must have the courage to be the first to undergo this conversion. To heal the deep wounds, the acts of infidelity and the painful deviations committed in its midst, we must stand humbly under the Lord's purifying gaze,"

"Acknowledging our own faults is essential to our spiritual progress," he added.

Private Meeting With Bishops and Survivors

Earlier on Sunday the pope met privately with France's bishops, praising measures they have taken to address clerical abuse while urging continued vigilance and pastoral support for clergy.

"In recent years, you have faced with determination the painful scourge of abuse against minors committed by members of the clergy or in an ecclesial context," he told them, according to remarks released by the Vatican. He highlighted steps taken "through listening, the search for truth, justice, forgiveness, reparation and a firm commitment to a culture of prevention and protection against these crimes."

The pontiff had planned a small, private meeting with seven survivors of clerical sexual abuse, including one who was abused as an adult. That meeting drew criticism from some survivors who questioned how participants were chosen and called for survivor organisations, rather than Church officials, to manage selection.

In an open letter published in French daily Libération, a group of survivors urged the pope to acknowledge the Church's responsibility and argued that "the Church must relinquish its position as both judge and party to the proceedings." Monsignor Pierre-Antoine Bozo, spokesperson for the French bishops' conference, said two of the seven attendees had been proposed by survivors' organisations and that the pope intentionally kept the group small to allow for a more intimate conversation.

Investigation Findings and Compensation

The French Catholic Church has been under intense scrutiny over its handling of sexual abuse allegations. An independent inquiry published in 2021 estimated that roughly 330,000 children were sexually abused over a 70-year period by priests, other Church workers and people associated with Catholic institutions, and identified about 3,000 alleged perpetrators among clergy and church workers.

Despite debate over the report's methodology and conclusions, France's bishops set up an independent compensation mechanism for survivors. So far, that system has recommended the Church pay more than €20 million in compensation.

As the pope's visit continues, his public call for institutional repentance and private talks with bishops and survivors underscore ongoing pressures on the French Church to improve accountability, support survivors and strengthen prevention measures.