Pope Leo met with victims of sexual abuse by clergy and pledged to strengthen protection

During his visit to France, Pope Leo held a two-hour meeting with people who had survived sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and pledged to work to ensure that such cases do not happen again. Reuters reports this, citing the Vatican, writes UNN.

Details

In Lourdes, the pontiff spoke separately with seven survivors, listened to their stories and proposals for strengthening protection against abuse in the Catholic Church.

He thanked them for their painful testimonies and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the harm they suffered is not repeated for others

The scale of the problem in France

The issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church became particularly acute in France after a large-scale investigation in 2021. According to its estimates, around 330,000 children may have suffered abuse by clergy and laypeople associated with the Church over seven decades.

During a Mass in Lourdes attended by around 150,000 people, Leo called on the Church to acknowledge its own mistakes and work toward "healing deep wounds."

To heal the deep wounds, disbelief and painful mistakes that have occurred within the Church, we must humbly submit to the Lord's purifying gaze

After the meeting, survivors said they felt that the pontiff was willing to listen to them, but were expecting concrete action. Leo also discussed the issue with French bishops and urged them to continue strengthening protection and to maintain "the utmost vigilance."

Around 800,000 people gathered for Pope Leo's Mass in central Paris27.09.26, 01:38 • 4772 views