Pope urges French bishops to 'persevere' against clerical sex abuse

Pope Leo XIV addressed French bishops on Sunday, urging them to continue their efforts to combat the issue of clerical sex abuse during his visit to France. The world's 1.4 billion Catholics were represented by the pontiff, who was on a four-day pilgrimage to the secular nation known for its deep Catholic roots. This was the first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades.

During a private meeting in the pilgrimage town of Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the bishops to persevere on the path they had begun, maintaining their vigilance. A 2021 inquiry revealed that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused approximately 330,000 minors in France over a span of 70 years. The Pope later met privately with seven victims, now adults, promising further efforts to reform the Church in the wake of the global sexual abuse scandal.

Lourdes, a Catholic holy site and one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations in the world, is situated in southwestern France. Pope Leo XIV blessed the faithful with holy water in a packed field near the sanctuary, with many expressing their appreciation for his attention to victims of clerical abuse. Victims' families and supporters praised the Pope's role as a spiritual guide for the Church, which has been embroiled in heinous incidents but has been in repentance for years.

The Pope addressed sick pilgrims on Sunday afternoon, rejecting the concept of assisted dying, which was recently legalised by the French parliament for certain adults suffering from incurable conditions. In his speech, the Pope emphasized the need to reject the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion. Pope Leo XIV arrived at Lourdes on Saturday evening, preceding a presidential election with the far-right on the rise and immigration as a significant concern.