Pope calls for rooting out abuse scourge during Lourdes visit

Sun Sep 27 2026 12:55:22 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

During his inaugural visit to France, Pope Leo XIV urges French bishops to aggressively tackle the Catholic Church’s sexual‑abuse scandal and meet survivors in Lourdes.

Pope Leo XIV has called on French bishops to root out the ‘scourge’ of sexual abuse during a private meeting at Lourdes, France. He urged greater vigilance after a 2021 inquiry found some 330,000 victims over 70 years. The Pope celebrated Mass before hundreds of thousands, then pledged to meet survivors. Earlier, he met President Emmanuel Macron and focused on youth engagement, reflecting a broader push for Church reform.

Pope calls for rooting out abuse scourge during Lourdes visit

Pope Leo XIV urged French bishops to aggressively tackle the Catholic Church‑wide sexual‑abuse problem during a private meeting in Lourdes, France, as part of his first official trip to the country.

In a message released after the closed‑door briefing, the pontiff said that bishops must “maintain the greatest vigilance” against the “scourge” that has seen about 330,000 people, mainly children, abused over the last seven decades in France.

Earlier that day, he celebrated Mass before hundreds of thousands on the sanctuary’s meadow, then announced a private meeting with abuse survivors. The Pope also met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris before the Lourdes talks.

The visit follows increasing calls for accountability in the Catholic Church, and comes at a time when adult baptisms have surged and a renewed focus on youth engagement has been highlighted. Pope Leo’s remarks underscore a broader push for reform and transparency within the Church.