Pope Leo urges French bishops to sustain abuse safeguards

Pope Leo urged French bishops on Sunday to remain vigilant and sustain efforts to address abuse of minors in the Catholic Church, as he was scheduled to meet privately with seven French survivors in Lourdes. The supplied reports did not confirm whether the meeting took place or describe any outcome or commitments. In remarks at a closed-door meeting with bishops, Leo referred to abuse by clergy and others in a church context as a painful scourge. He thanked the bishops for measures taken to confront the issue and urged them to persevere with safeguarding efforts. The Vatican later released the text of his remarks. The appeal came during Leo’s visit to France, where Church leaders hope his attention will help address damage to the institution’s standing. A 2021 inquiry estimated that about 330,000 people had been abused as children by clergy or lay members of the Church in France over a period of about 70 years. The figure is an inquiry estimate, not an independently verified count in the reporting. Leo was also scheduled to meet seven survivors privately later Sunday at the Lourdes shrine.