Pope meets abuse survivors in Lourdes during first French papal visit in decades
Pope Leo XIV traveled to Lourdes after two days in Paris, where large crowds attended his events. During the France visit, he is scheduled to meet privately with people who survived sexual abuse by clergy. The trip is the first official papal visit to France in almost 20 years.
Pope Leo XIV’s four-day France trip followed two days in Paris, where enormous crowds attended his events, including a large outdoor Mass. He then traveled to Lourdes, a southwestern pilgrimage destination, to meet privately with people who survived sexual abuse by clergy.
The visit is the first official papal trip to France in nearly two decades. Coverage included reaction from Marc Artzrouni, the French representative of the global coalition Ending Clergy Abuse, underscoring how the abuse crisis remains part of the church’s public reckoning.
The encounter may resonate with abuse survivors and Catholic communities in France, especially those seeking acknowledgment and institutional accountability. It could also shape public expectations for how the church addresses clergy abuse, while the large Paris gatherings may reinforce the pope’s visibility and influence among worshippers. How these moments affect trust and dialogue could depend on follow-through beyond the private meeting.