At Sunday's open-air Mass in Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV urged the Catholic Church to acknowledge its failings and confront sexual abuse. He told French bishops to stay vigilant as a planned meeting with seven survivors drew criticism over how participants were chosen.
Earlier Sunday, Leo praised French bishops in a private meeting for measures including listening, seeking truth and justice, making reparation, and strengthening prevention and protection. He urged them to stay vigilant and support clergy. Some survivors' open letter criticized Church officials' role in selecting attendees. Bishops' conference spokesperson Monsignor Pierre-Antoine Bozo said survivor organizations proposed two of the seven, and Leo chose a small group for a more personal discussion.
An independent 2021 investigation estimated that about 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by priests, other Church workers and people associated with Catholic institutions. It identified around 3,000 alleged perpetrators among priests and Church workers. Despite criticism of the report's methodology and conclusions, French bishops established an independent compensation system, which has recommended that the Church pay more than €20 million in compensation.
