Pope Leo XIV, the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, is on a four-day trip to France, a secular country with deep Catholic roots. This marks the first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades. During his visit, he met with French bishops in the pilgrimage town of Lourdes, where he urged them to continue battling the "scourge" of clerical sex abuse.
A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 minors in France over 70 years. The Pope told the bishops that they had faced the painful issue with determination and that it was essential to persevere along the path they had begun, maintaining the greatest vigilance. He also promised to further efforts to reform the Church in the wake of the global sexual abuse scandal.
On Sunday, Pope Leo met privately with seven victims of clerical abuse, now adults, including an 80-year-old man who was abused as a pupil at Notre-Dame de Betharram, a nearby boarding school at the centre of widespread accusations of physical and sexual abuse over several decades. The Pope's meeting with the victims was seen as a significant step towards acknowledging the Church's role in the abuse and taking steps to prevent it.
The Pope's visit to Lourdes, one of the most important Catholic holy sites in the world, was seen as a significant moment in his trip to France. The town receives some three million pilgrims each year, and believers credit it with miraculous healings. On Sunday morning, hymns rang out in a packed field near the sanctuary after Pope Leo blessed the faithful with holy water.
Many pilgrims expressed their support for the Pope's efforts to address the issue of clerical abuse. Jerome Vion, a 54-year-old pilgrim from Paris, said that he approved of the Pope's attention to victims of clerical abuse, adding that it was the Pope's role as a spiritual master to guide the Church through this difficult period. Domitille Bardoul, 26, said that it was "very beautiful" that the Pope was listening to victims and taking steps to prevent abuse.
During his visit, Pope Leo also addressed sick pilgrims, rejecting assisted dying, which was legalized in France in June for certain adults suffering from an incurable condition. He said that it was essential to reject the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion, adding that what was legal was not necessarily moral.
The Pope's visit to France comes at a significant time, with the country set to hold a presidential election in seven months. Ahead of the election, the Pope prayed to the Virgin Mary to "obtain for France wise and generous leaders... eager to serve the common good". The Pope's message was seen as a call for unity and a reminder of the importance of serving the common good.
Key points
- The Pope urged French bishops to persevere in their efforts to combat clerical sex abuse.
- The Pope met with victims of clerical abuse, including an 80-year-old man who was abused at a boarding school.
- The Pope rejected assisted dying, which was legalized in France in June, saying that it was essential to reject the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion.
