Pope calls abuse a scourge

Pope Leo told French bishops to root out the scourge of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, urging them to maintain the greatest vigilance during a private meeting at the Sanctuary of Our Holy Lady of Lourdes.

“You have faced with determination the painful scourge of abuse of minors committed by members of the clergy or within an ecclesial context.”

French abuse inquiry findings

A two thousand twenty-one inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about three hundred thirty thousand people as children in France over seventy years.

Pope meets abuse survivors

Pope Leo met with seven survivors of abuse by French clergy at Lourdes. The Vatican said he thanked them for their testimony and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the harm they experienced is not repeated for others.

Survivor praises the encounter

Survivor Jean-Marie Delbos said the meeting was extraordinary. He said Pope Leo listened and was informed of their cases. I never thought I would have a Pope before me, he added at a news conference.

“I never thought I would have a Pope before me”

Massive crowds in Paris and Lourdes

An estimated seven hundred thousand people gathered at the Place de la Concorde in Paris to hear Pope Leo speak. Huge crowds cheered and waved as he rode down the Champs-Élysées Avenue in his open-topped popemobile.

Pope addresses young Catholics

During Saturday's Mass in Paris, Pope Leo told worshippers that Catholics should let their faith overflow so those they meet may be refreshed. He addressed young people as today's Church, praising their enthusiasm, energy and commitment.

“let it overflow so that those you meet may be refreshed”

Church decline and signs of revival

Regular worshippers in France fell from thirty-five percent of the population in nineteen sixty to less than five percent today. But adult baptisms more than doubled in five years to hit ten thousand in two thousand twenty-five, showing growing interest in religious tradition.