A Papal Encounter at Lourdes
At six in the evening in Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV received seven people who had been sexually abused by priests, bishops, or other Catholic Church officials. The encounter took place on the third day of his trip to France, after he had already addressed the issue during his Sunday homily and had previously raised it on a visit to Spain. The trip and its difficult subjects are revealing the main priorities of his pontificate.[S1]
Before entering the room where the French bishops were waiting for him, the pope paused in front of a photograph titled The Child Who Cries, which shows a cherub in tears. The image had been placed on the wall of the meeting hall where the French bishops gathered in November 2021, shortly after the publication of the Sauvé report, which estimated that 330,000 minors had been sexually abused in the Church.[S1]
Victims Speak Out
One of the victims chose to speak discreetly about her meeting with the pontiff, saying they would make recommendations. She explained that she was eager to do so, noting that she had faced several difficulties in her life and that the experience of having been abused by Abbé Pierre had strengthened her. Abbé Pierre had been a revered figure in French charity work until revelations of his long-standing abuse destroyed his reputation.[S1]
According to this victim, Leo XIV wants to meet with each of them individually. She said each person would have five minutes to speak with him, followed by a group meeting, and that she planned to present recommendations. In a statement, the seven victims of sexual violence who met with the pope said that dialogue does not mean condoning abuse and that they would not give up their demands. Among them are victims of Abbé Pierre, Bétharram, and Father Preynat, as well as members of human rights advocacy groups.[S1]
Five of the victims disclosed their identities but warned they would not speak publicly again until after the meeting. Their statement said that being received does not mean abandoning their demands. The announcement of the meeting in early September had already sparked controversy. Several groups that were not received criticized the limited scope of the encounter and the lack of transparency in how the Church selected participants. The fact that those received were initially seen only individually was also a subject of debate.[S1]
The Challenge of Reparation
During his meeting with members of the French Bishops' Conference in Lourdes, the pope asked the Church to continue its work against the scourge of sexual violence. Facing the abuse crisis, the pope confronts the challenge of providing reparation to victims. He told the bishops that in recent years they had firmly confronted the painful scourge of abuse of minors committed by members of the clergy or within the Church, and he stressed that it was essential to continue on the path undertaken while maintaining maximum vigilance.[S1]
There was strong anticipation that the pope would address this issue, which remains delicate for the Church in France five years after the report estimated 330,000 minors had been abused by the Catholic Church since 1950.[S1]
