Pope Leo pledges action on clergy abuse after meeting French survivors in Lourdes

Pope Leo reaffirmed his commitment to ending abuse of children by Catholic priests during a private two-hour meeting with seven French abuse survivors in Lourdes on Sunday, the Vatican said.

The pontiff met each of the survivors individually and heard their proposals for improving the Church’s safeguarding measures. “He thanked them for their painful testimony and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the harm they experienced is not repeated for others,” the Vatican statement said.

The survivors said afterwards the meeting was emotional and touching, and that they felt listened to — but they hoped the words would be accompanied by action. “He certainly believes that the Church has done a great deal in France, but he also believes that the Church in France still has a tremendous amount left to do,” said Jérôme Guillement, one of the survivors.

Jean-Marie Delbos, 80, who was abused as a pupil at the Notre-Dame de Betharram boarding school near Lourdes, said the pope embraced him. “When he saw the state I was in, he took me into his arms,” he said. “It was an extraordinary moment.”

Earlier on Sunday, Leo told an estimated 150,000 people at an open-air Mass near the Lourdes shrine that the Church must have the courage to face its past and heal its “deep wounds”. The visit follows a 2021 report that found some 330,000 French children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over seven decades.

Sources

• Reuters (via LA Post): “Pope Leo pledges action on clergy abuse after meeting French survivors” — https://www.lapost.com/content/pope-leo-urges-church-to-face-failings-before-meeting-french-abuse-survivors
• Al Jazeera: “Pope pledges action on clergy child abuse in meeting with French survivors” — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/27/pope-pledges-action-on-clergy-child-abuse-in-meeting-with-french-survivors
• Jerusalem Post (Reuters): “Pope Leo pledges action on clergy abuse after meeting French survivors” — https://www.jpost.com/international/article-909907