Pope promises French sex abuse victims to prevent further harm
LOURDES, Sept 28 — Pope Leo XIV yesterday told victims of clerical sex abuse he met in France that he was committe...
Lourdes, France – Pope Leo XIV made a public pledge on September 28 to take steps to prevent further clerical sex abuse during a meeting with victims in the pilgrimage town. The 80-year-old former abuse victim, Jean-Marie Delbos, recounted feeling "extraordinary" when the Pope embraced him. Pope Leo, on his first official papal visit to secular France in nearly two decades, met seven abuse survivors, now adults.
A 2021 inquiry revealed that clergy or Church members had abused approximately 330,000 minors in France over 70 years. Jerome Guillement, who previously wrote about abuse, said the Pope recognized the "systemic" nature of sexual abuse within the Church. The Pope affirmed his commitment to preventing harm from occurring to others, expressing hope for working together with the victims.
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