Pope promises French sex abuse victims to prevent further harm
LOURDES: Pope Leo XIV on Sunday told victims of clerical sex abuse he met in France that he was committed to preventing further harm, taking one in his arms in a moment the 80-year-old man described as “extraordinary.”
Pope Leo XIV met with seven adult victims of clerical sex abuse during his first official visit to France in nearly two decades. The 80-year-old pontiff was in the pilgrimage town of Lourdes, a site of deep Catholic faith, to assure victims that he is committed to preventing further harm. Jean-Marie Delbos, one of the victims, recounted a moment when the pope took him in his arms, describing it as an "extraordinary" experience.
Pope Leo pledged to reform the Church after the global sex abuse scandal and expressed hope for cooperation with the victims. The Vatican reported that a 2021 inquiry found about 330,000 minors in France had been abused over 70 years.
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