Pope pledges action on clergy child abuse in meeting with French survivors
Pope Leo XIV met with seven survivors of clerical child abuse in Lourdes, France, to offer a personal apology and reaffirm his commitment to reform. Survivors expressed appreciation for the Pope's compassion but emphasized the need for systemic changes to address institutional abuse.
Why it matters
This meeting highlights the ongoing pressure on the Catholic Church to address historical sexual abuse scandals and implement meaningful institutional accountability.
Head of the Roman Catholic Church holds ’emotional’ two-hour meeting with seven abuse survivors in French town of Lourdes.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Survivors of abuse by members of the French clergy, Veronique Garnier, Olivier Mardi, Jerome Guillement, Bertrand Virieux, and Jean-Marie Delbos, pose together during a news conference after a nearly two-hour meeting with Pope Leo in Lourdes, France, on September 27, 2026 [Clotaire Achi/Reuters] By AFP , AP and Reuters Published On 27 Sep 2026 27 Sep 2026 Pope Leo XIV has thanked a group of survivors of clerical abuse “for their painful testimony” and “reaffirmed his commitment” to end harm by Catholic priests at a meeting in southwestern France, the Vatican said.
The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is on a four-day visit to France .
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10 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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