Pope Leo XIV continues his visit to France in Lourdes with a mass and a meeting with victims of sexual violence

After two days in Paris where he attracted more than a million people, Leo XIV continues his visit to France on Sunday in Lourdes, with a new mass and a highly anticipated meeting with victims of sexual violence in the Church.

The Pyrenean town of around 13,600 inhabitants was adorned with the yellow and white colors of the Vatican, with shops and restaurants displaying the portrait of the sovereign pontiff in their windows. Pilgrims should number 200,000 over the weekend, according to the prefecture, to prolong the enthusiasm seen in the capital.

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On Sunday, his day will begin with a meeting with the French bishops, before a walkabout in a popemobile (10:15 a.m.) on the meadow of the Marian sanctuary, which welcomes three million visitors per year. In front of the 150,000 people expected, Leo

“A game of victim competition”

The Pope's day will continue with a meeting with sick or disabled faithful (3:30 p.m.), an interview with nuns and, before a torchlight procession at 9:00 p.m., a highly scrutinized stage: a closed-door meeting with seven victims of sexual violence in the Church in France.

Leo The subject remains hot for the Church of France, five years after the shock report which estimated the number of minor victims within it at 330,000 since 1950.

Among the victims who will meet the Pope is a former member of the Notre-Dame de Bétharram institution, but no collective representative - a choice widely criticized by the latter, who deplore "a masquerade" without consultation or "a game of victim competition". In Spain where he met six victims in June, Leo XIV denounced a “scourge” and demanded “truth, justice and reparation”.