Pope Leo urges French bishops to root out abuse 'scourge' at Lourdes

September 27, 2026 at 04:38 PM2 min

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Pope Leo called on French bishops to root out the "scourge" of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church during a private meeting at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes on the third day of his four-day visit to France. He delivered the message ahead of a scheduled meeting with abuse survivors later that day. The remarks came a day after an estimated 700,000 people attended his Mass in Paris.

Key Facts

A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church abused about 330,000 people as children in France over 70 years.
An estimated 700,000 people attended the Pope's Mass at the Place de la Concorde in Paris on Saturday.
The number of regular worshippers in France has fallen from 35% of the population in 1960 to less than 5% today.
The number of adult baptisms in France more than doubled in five years to hit 10,000 in 2025.

Abuse Scandal Response

Pope Leo told French bishops to "maintain the greatest vigilance" against sexual abuse during a private meeting at the Sanctuary of Our Holy Lady of Lourdes. He said the bishops had "faced with determination the painful scourge of abuse of minors committed by members of the clergy or within an ecclesial context." The meeting was held behind closed doors and the remarks were later released to reporters. The Pope was scheduled to meet privately with abuse survivors later that day.

Lourdes Visit

Pope Leo said Mass in front of thousands of worshippers at the Meadow of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. He greeted followers from his open-topped popemobile at the sanctuary. Later on Sunday the Pope will meet staff and residents at the health facility at Lourdes before taking part in a torchlight procession in the evening. This is the Pope's first official visit to France since being chosen to lead the Roman Catholic Church in May 2025.

Church Decline and Renewal

The number of regular worshippers in France has fallen from 35% of the population in 1960 to less than 5% today. The number of priests has shrunk by two-thirds from 25,000 in 1990 to fewer than 9,000. In recent years there have been signs of growing interest in religious tradition, with the number of adult baptisms more than doubling in five years to hit 10,000 in 2025.