Pope Leo in France calls for Church to face its abuse failures
Pope Leo visited France to meet abuse survivors and call on the Church to admit its failings over 330,000 abused children.
Pope Leo is visiting France this week, drawing massive crowds. On the Champs-Élysées in Paris, 800,000 people attended an outdoor Mass.
The Pope also addressed more than 150,000 at Lourdes, a major pilgrimage site. Throughout his trip, the Pope called on the Catholic Church to admit its failures and heal the wounds abuse has caused.
The Pope is due to meet with seven French survivors of clergy abuse on Sunday. A 2021 report found that around 330,000 children in France were abused by Catholic priests and church workers over seven decades.
The Pope has previously urged bishops to listen to survivors and offer them reparations for harm caused.
- 330,000
- Children abused over seven decades
- 800,000 people
- Outdoor Mass attendance in Paris
- 150,000 people
- Lourdes address attendance
- 7
- Abuse survivors to meet Pope
Why it mattersThe Pope's direct engagement with survivors signals the Church must reckon with abuse; his call for accountability sets expectations for institutional reform.
AustraliaThe Pope's push for Church accountability sets expectations for Catholic leaders worldwide, including in Australia, to listen to and compensate survivors.
Corroborated byperthnow.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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