Pope Leo XIV calls on the French Church to exercise maximum vigilance against abuse

Pope Leo The Pontiff spoke in Lourdes, where around 150 thousand faithful were present at the Mass in the Prairie of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, according to what was reported by the Vatican press office.

During the meeting with the French bishops, the Pope directly addressed the issue of abuse committed by members of the clergy or within the ecclesial sphere.

«In recent years, you have faced with determination the painful scourge of child abuse committed by members of the clergy or within the ecclesial sphere. You have taken courageous measures to respond, through listening, seeking the truth, justice, forgiveness, reparation and a firm commitment to a culture of prevention and protection against such crimes. I thank you for what you have done and I know that some moments have been very difficult for your Conference. It is advisable to continue along the path taken, maintaining maximum vigilance."

The Pontiff's call therefore places the continuity of the action already underway at the centre: listening, ascertainment of the truth, justice, reparation and prevention remain the points indicated for tackling the scourge of abuse.

The issue of abuse cannot be ignored. This was said by the spokesperson of the French Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Pierre-Antoine Bozo, on the sidelines of the meeting between the bishops and the Pope in Lourdes. “The fact that there is a meeting between the Pope and the victims, which is part of his trip to France, says that we cannot ignore this issue and that it must always be part of our concerns,” he said, specifying that it will be a private meeting between Leone and seven victims, without the presence of the bishops. On the controversy that has arisen in France due to the failure to invite the associations that protect the victims to this afternoon's meeting, Mgr. Bozo replied: «What helps us in accompanying the victims is listening to them, and to listen to them you cannot have fifty people in front of you. So this is precisely what the Pope wanted and, in any case, what transforms us bishops is that we listen to the victims. This is how we can respond in the right way for recognition, reparation, the care that is taken of them and also to ensure that the Church progresses in vigilance."