Pope Leo XIV Meets Abuse Survivors in Lourdes, Vows to Prevent Repeat of ‘Evil’

LOURDES, France — Pope Leo XIV met on Sunday with survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in the French pilgrimage town of Lourdes, telling them he was committed to making sure the “evil” they suffered would not be inflicted on others.

The meeting included seven women and men who had been abused, the Vatican press office said. Leo reaffirmed “his commitment to ensuring that the evil they had experienced would not happen to others,” according to the office.

Earlier in the day, the pope celebrated an open-air Mass attended by about 150,000 people, where he spoke of “deep wounds, infidelities and painful errors” within the Church. His words appeared to address the long-running abuse crisis that has shaken Catholic institutions in France and beyond.

After the meeting, one survivor, Véronique Garnier, told reporters she hoped something would change. Her reaction reflected the cautious expectations of many victims, who have long pressed the Church for accountability, transparency and concrete reforms rather than apologies alone.

In France, as in other countries, abuse by priests was covered up for decades. An independent commission of inquiry found that more than 200,000 people had been victims since 1950, a finding that forced the French Catholic Church to confront one of the gravest crises in its modern history.

Lourdes was the penultimate stop on Leo’s visit to France. On Monday, he is scheduled to travel to Metz, near the French-German border, where he plans to deliver a speech on Europe.