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Pope Leo XIV to Meet French Abuse Survivors Amid Calls for Action
Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV will meet with seven French survivors of clergy sexual abuse during his visit to Lourdes, as critics demand further action.
Pope Leo XIV, during his four-day visit to France beginning Friday, will meet privately with seven survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other Catholic personnel in Lourdes, one of Catholicism's most important pilgrimage sites.
The survivors, who include individuals abused as minors and adults in Catholic schools, parishes, and religious congregations, will meet with the Pope on Sunday.
In a joint statement, the survivors said they do not claim to represent all survivors and will express their own views, convictions, and choices freely.
Eric, a 55-year-old survivor who was raped by a priest between the ages of 8 and 14, expressed satisfaction that survivors' voices will be heard by the Pope.
Critics argue that the church has not done enough to confront the problem of clergy sexual abuse, and some survivors' groups have criticized the decision to select individuals rather than representatives of established organizations.
Alain Esquerre, a spokesperson for a group of Bétharram school survivors, said that words of compassion are 'no longer enough' and called for a concrete plan to combat abuse.
Eric Mercier, another survivor, said that following the 2021 reckoning over the extent of sexual abuse, 'bishops begged for pardon to the victims. And now they give the impression that they want to turn the page.
During a visit to Spain in June, Leo met with six survivors of clergy sexual abuse and vowed to consider their suggestions for improving the church's response to the crisis.
In recent years, the French Catholic Church has established an independent compensation system for survivors and acknowledged the institution's history of abuse.
Bishop Jean-Marc Micas ordered the complete covering of Father Marko Rupnik's mosaics in Lourdes to ensure that victims of clerical sexual abuse would not be deterred from visiting the sanctuary.
The mosaics, created by Father Rupnik, who is currently facing a canonical trial for alleged spiritual and sexual abuse, were fully covered by September 18, ensuring they would not be visible during Pope Leo's visit.
Sister Samuelle, a French mosaicist and one of Father Rupnik’s alleged victims, recently visited Lourdes, highlighting the emotional impact of the mosaics on abuse survivors.
What this adds
The decision to cover the mosaics was made to ensure that victims of clerical sexual abuse would not be deterred from visiting the sanctuary.
The contrasting decisions at two of Catholicism’s great Marian shrines have brought an unresolved question inside the Church into unusually sharp focus: how should sacred art be treated when its creator is accused of serious abuse?
Background
Pope Leo XIV will meet with seven French survivors of clergy sexual abuse during his visit to Lourdes, as critics demand further action.
Pope Leo XIV's upcoming visit to France is expected to reignite faith among Catholics, following a period of institutional challenges.
What's confirmed
- The seven survivors said in a joint statement last week that they don't claim to represent all survivors.
- "Each of us is taking part in this meeting in our own name, free to express our own views, convictions and choices," the survivors said.
- The French Bishops' Conference said that the group includes people who were abused as minors or adults in Catholic schools, parishes and religious congregations.
- Several survivors called on the Vatican to take further action against clergy sexual abuse as the Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation, or INIRR, said Tuesday that 1,969 people abused as children had come forward over the past five years.
- "I'm satisfied that survivors' voices will be heard" by Leo, said Eric, 55, who was raped by a priest when he was between ages 8 and 14.
- The Associated Press doesn't name victims of sexual assault or abuse unless they come forward publicly or give their consent to be identified.
- That has left some advocates who have fought for survivors' rights feeling they "are not recognized by the church," he said.
- Following the 2021 reckoning over the extent of sexual abuse, "bishops begged for pardon to the victims. And now they give the impression that they want to turn the page," Mercier said.
- Alain Esquerre, a spokesperson for a group of Bétharram school survivors, said that words of compassion are "no longer enough" and called for a concrete plan to combat abuse.
- "Receiving survivors' groups would carry far too much symbolic and political weight, and it would require concrete action to be taken," Esquerre said.
- During a visit to Spain in June, Leo met in Madrid with six survivors of clergy sexual abuse and vowed to consider their suggestions for improving the church's response to the crisis, according to the Vatican.
- Learn more Paris — September 22, 2026 Share on Bluesky Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email to a friend Print Pope Leo XIV, during his four-day visit to France beginning Friday, will meet privately with seven survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other Catholic personnel.
What's still developing
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- “Engaging in dialogue does not mean endorsing,” they said.
- The contrasting decisions at two of Catholicism’s great Marian shrines have brought an unresolved question inside the Church into unusually sharp focus: how should sacred art be treated when its creator is accused of serious abuse?
- (ZENIT News / Rome, 09.14.2026).- When Pope Leo XIV arrives in Lourdes later this month, one of the most striking features of the sanctuary will be something visitors cannot see.
- Aluminum panels will conceal the controversial mosaics created by the former Jesuit priest and artist Marko Rupnik, reflecting a decision that has placed the dignity of abuse survivors ahead of the public display of his work.