Pope Léon XIV meets sexual abuse survivors during Lourdes visit

Pope Léon XIV arrived in Paris on Friday and, after a week-long reception that drew over a million people, continued his French itinerary in Lourdes on Sunday. The schedule features a Mass in the open air, a papamobile ride across the sanctuary’s meadow, and a series of pastoral visits, including a gathering with French bishops and a session with ill and disabled pilgrims. A focal point of the day is a confidential meeting with seven individuals who allege sexual abuse by clergy in France, a move that has been described by some as lacking broader victim-group participation.

Critics have labeled the arrangement a “masquerade” and accused the Holy See of turning the encounter into a competitive display. Earlier in Spain, Léon XIV met six survivors, denounced the abuse as a “plague,” and called for truth, justice and compensation. The French Church still grapples with a 2021 report estimating 330,000 minor victims since 1950.