'Scourge' of abuse must be rooted, says Pope, during Lourdes visit
Pope Leo visited France and urged bishops to maintain vigilance in addressing the 'scourge' of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. The visit included large public gatherings and private meetings with survivors of historical abuse.
Why it matters
The Catholic Church continues to face intense scrutiny regarding its handling of systemic abuse, making the Pope's public stance a significant development for institutional accountability.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered to hear the Pope speak during a four-day visit to France
Pope Leo has called on French bishops to root out the "scourge" of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church, telling them to "maintain the greatest vigilance", ahead of a meeting with abuse survivors.
The Pope delivered the message to bishops during a private meeting at the Sanctuary of Our Holy Lady of Lourdes, a holy site in southern France, on the third day of his four-day official visit to France.
A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 people as children in France over 70 years.
The Pope said Mass in front of thousands of worshippers in Lourdes, before he was scheduled to meet survivors of abuse privately later.
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