{
  "id": 10222162,
  "title": "Pope Decries 'Scourge' of Sexual Abuse During France Visit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/pope-decries-scourge-of-sexual-abuse-during-france-visit-10222162",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T13:52:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tempo.co English",
    "slug": "tempo-co-english",
    "url": "https://en.tempo.co/read/2120423/pope-decries-scourge-of-sexual-abuse-during-france-visit"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On the third day of his four-day visit to France, Pope Leo addressed a vast crowd of around 150,000 at the Lourdes shrine, a revered location for Catholics as a place of healing. Many victims of sexual abuse have journeyed to this site, near the Spanish border, seeking solace from their trauma. In his address, Leo emphasized respect for life, including the sick and frail, seemingly criticizing euthanasia and abortion. At a subsequent meeting, the pope will converse with seven adult survivors of sexual abuse, a part of the Vatican's ongoing effort to address the widespread molestation of children by clergy members and the attempts to conceal the scandal globally. A 2021 report revealed that approximately 330,000 children in France were abused by Catholic priests and lay leaders between 1950 and 2020. While not directly discussing the issue during his Mass, Pope Leo urged humility among clergy, stating that acknowledging our mistakes is crucial for spiritual growth. Healing deep wounds and infidelities necessitates humbly placing oneself under the Lord's purifying gaze. However, some survivors remain skeptical that Pope Leo's visit will prompt swift changes within the church, noting that progress is slow. Earlier, the pope met with French bishops, commending their \"courageous\" response to the abuse scandal, praising them for seeking truth, justice, forgiveness, and making amends, and urging them to maintain vigilance in their efforts against such crimes.",
  "summary": "Pope Leo XIV praised French bishops for taking \"courageous\" steps to address the abuse of minors before meeting survivors in Lourdes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Pope to meet with victims of clerical sex abuse during France trip",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/pope-to-meet-with-victims-of-clerical-sex-abuse-during-france-trip",
        "published": "2026-09-27T08:03:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Pope to meet clerical sex abuse victims during landmark France trip",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/pope-to-meet-clerical-sex-abuse-victims-during-landmark-france-trip",
        "published": "2026-09-27T08:07:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Local France",
        "title": "Pope to meet victims of clerical sex abuse on France trip",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/pope-to-meet-victims-of-clerical-sex-abuse-on-france-trip",
        "published": "2026-09-27T09:14:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Pope to meet victims of clerical sex abuse on France trip",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/pope-to-meet-victims-of-clerical-sex-abuse-on-france-trip-10181948",
        "published": "2026-09-27T09:32:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "The week in pictures: Trump hosts Xi, the pope visits France and floods ravage Thailand",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/the-week-in-pictures-trump-hosts-xi-the-pope-visits-france-and-floods",
        "published": "2026-09-27T10:05:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "'Scourge' of abuse must be rooted out, says Pope, during Lourdes visit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/scourge-of-abuse-must-be-rooted-out-says-pope-during-lourdes-visit",
        "published": "2026-09-27T11:38:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Pope decries 'scourge' of sexual abuse during France visit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/pope-decries-scourge-of-sexual-abuse-during-france-visit",
        "published": "2026-09-27T11:51:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}