Pope Leo XIV Urges French Church to Strengthen Abuse Safeguards

Pope Leo XIV has urged French bishops to remain vigilant in preventing and addressing clerical sexual abuse during his visit to France, emphasizing the need for continued accountability, protection and support for survivors.

The Pope made the remarks on Sunday during a private meeting with French bishops in Lourdes, one of the Catholic Church’s most important pilgrimage sites.

He acknowledged the Church’s efforts to respond to cases of abuse and called on the bishops to continue along the path of safeguarding and reform.

The Vatican said Leo later met privately with seven survivors of abuse in a two-hour meeting at the bishop’s residence in Lourdes. The group included four men and three women who had experienced abuse involving members of the clergy or Church institutions.

According to the Vatican, the Pope listened individually to the survivors, heard about their experiences and received proposals aimed at preventing abuse from happening again. He also expressed solidarity with others who continue to live with the effects of abuse.

France’s Long-Running Abuse Scandal

The Pope’s visit comes amid the Catholic Church’s continuing reckoning with abuse allegations in France.

A 2021 independent investigation documented widespread abuse involving Catholic clergy and members of religious communities over several decades. Vatican News reported that the inquiry identified more than 210,000 minors as victims of abuse by priests and religious personnel between 1950 and 2020.

The issue has remained central to discussions about accountability, compensation and safeguarding within the French Church.

Survivors and advocacy groups have continued to call for stronger institutional measures and greater accountability.

Meeting Survivors in Lourdes

The meeting with seven survivors was one of the significant moments of Leo's French visit.

Among those present was Jean-Marie Delbos, who was abused as a pupil at Notre-Dame de Bétharram boarding school, an institution that has been at the centre of allegations concerning abuse over several decades.

The Vatican said the meeting was deliberately kept small to allow for a substantive exchange between the Pope and survivors.

Leo told the survivors of his commitment to preventing the abuse they experienced from being repeated and expressed his hope that the Church could become a place where people find protection, comfort and healing.

Pope Rejects Assisted Dying

During his time in Lourdes, Leo also spoke against assisted dying, following France’s recent legislation allowing medically assisted death in specified circumstances.

Addressing sick people and those who care for them, the Pope rejected what he called the temptation to end life under the justification of compassion.

He argued that legal recognition of a practice does not automatically settle the moral question surrounding it. Vatican News reported that his remarks were directed toward protecting people experiencing serious illness and suffering.

The issue remains politically and ethically contested in France, with supporters and opponents presenting different arguments about autonomy, medical care and the protection of vulnerable people.

A Major Visit to Lourdes

Leo's visit to Lourdes formed part of his four-day apostolic journey through France.

The Marian shrine attracts large numbers of pilgrims each year and is associated with the reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.

On Sunday, Leo celebrated an outdoor Mass attended by approximately 150,000 people, according to Vatican News.

He also prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle after arriving in Lourdes and entrusted France and its people to the Virgin Mary.

Calls for Responsible Leadership

The Pope's French visit has also taken place against a politically significant backdrop, with France facing major debates over its future political leadership, social cohesion and public policy.

During his visit, Leo prayed for France and called for leaders committed to serving the common good.

His remarks have placed the papal visit beyond religious ceremonies, touching on questions of human dignity, social responsibility, institutional accountability and the protection of vulnerable people.

For the Catholic Church in France, however, the response to clerical abuse remains one of the most closely watched aspects of the visit.

Leo’s meeting with survivors and his appeal to bishops for continued vigilance have placed safeguarding and accountability prominently on the agenda as the Church continues efforts to address the legacy of abuse.