Pope Leo XIV Meets with Clergy Abuse Survivors in Lourdes

Pope Leo XIV met with seven survivors of clerical abuse in Lourdes, France, during his four-day visit to the country. The Vatican reported that the Pope thanked the survivors for their testimonies and reaffirmed his commitment to addressing abuse within the Catholic Church. The meeting lasted two hours and was described by the survivors as emotional. Jean-Marie Delbos, one of the survivors, recounted a moment when the Pope embraced him, stating it was an extraordinary moment. Delbos was abused at the nearby Notre-Dame de Betharram boarding school, where staff have faced allegations of abuse over several decades. The survivors expressed that they felt heard and appreciated the Pope's compassion and awareness of their individual cases, but they emphasized the need for concrete actions to follow his words. Jerome Guillement, another survivor, noted that the Pope recognized the systemic nature of abuse within the Church, stating that while the Church has made progress, much work remains. Local leaders expressed hope that the Pope's visit would help restore the Church's reputation following a 2021 inquiry that revealed approximately 330,000 children in France had been abused by clergy and lay leaders over seven decades. During a Mass attended by around 150,000 people, the Pope addressed the need for the Church to confront its past. Veronique Garnier, another survivor, found the Mass troubling but felt encouraged by her meeting with the Pope, expressing hope for genuine change. Additionally, the Pope condemned France's recent legalization of medically assisted death, calling it immoral and emphasizing the dignity of those in pain. He stated, 'What is legal is not necessarily moral,' which resonated with the audience.