Pope Leo to Meet 7 Abuse Survivors in Lourdes During France Trip
The private meeting follows renewed pressure for accountability after a 2021 report found 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and church workers.
- On Friday, Pope Leo XIV begins a four-day visit to France, culminating on Sunday in Lourdes where he will meet privately with seven survivors of clerical sexual abuse.
- A landmark 2021 report found that 330,000 French children were abused by Catholic clergy over seven decades, sparking nationwide shock and fueling ongoing demands for institutional accountability.
- The seven participants stated, "Dialogue does not mean endorsement. Being received does not mean giving up our demands," emphasizing they do not represent all victims of Church abuse.
- Beyond the Lourdes meeting, Pope Leo will meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace and address UNESCO staff, culminating with a speech on peace in Metz.
- Critics note that survivors were excluded from the selection process managed by bishops rather than victims, as activists argue words of compassion are "no longer enough" to address systemic abuse.
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75 Articles
Pope Leo to Meet With 7 Abuse Survivors
Pope Leo XIV will meet privately with seven survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other Catholic personnel in France during a four-day visit that begins later this week. The meeting is scheduled for Sunday in Lourdes, one of Catholicism's most important pillgrimage sites, per the AP . Some survivors' groups...
Three days before the Pope's visit, the choice of an intimate format with seven victims rather than collectives is called "rendez-vous foncé" by Marie Derain de Vaucresson (Inirr). ...
Pope Leo XIV is to meet seven victims of sexual violence in the Church during his visit to Lourdes on Sunday. He deplores the absence of collectives to bring a broader word and highlight France's slight advance on the subject.
Paris, 22 Sep (EFE).- Numerous victims of sexual abuse within the French church consider that the space they will have during Pope Leo XIV's visit to the country this weekend is "insufficient" and regret that they are not allowed to explain to the Holy Father the "pioneer" listening and compensation device. [...] The entry The victims of abuse in the gala church consider their meeting with Leo XIV insufficient was first published in HolaNews.
Pope Leo XIV will meet with the French abuse survivors as critics dema
PARIS (AP) — Pope Leo XIV, during his four-day visit to France beginning Friday, will meet privately with seven survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other Catholic personnel. The outcome will be closely watched by critics
ledauphine.com
vosgesmatin.frWhile Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to meet seven victims of sexual violence in the Church on Sunday in Lourdes, the Independent Body for Recognition and Reparation (Inirr) deplores a "missed" appointment. His president believes that a more collective speech could have been more relevant.
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