Pope Leo XIV is in Lourdes on Sunday as part of his four-day visit to France, with the pontiff scheduled to celebrate Mass at the famous Marian shrine and meet privately with survivors of sexual abuse committed within the Catholic Church.
The visit to Lourdes is the second major stop on the Pope’s September 25–28 apostolic journey, which began in Paris and will conclude in the eastern city of Metz on Monday.
According to the official Vatican programme, Leo arrived in Lourdes on Saturday evening and prayed at the Grotto of the Apparitions at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. On Sunday, he is scheduled to meet French bishops, celebrate Mass and take part in a candlelight procession. (Vatican)
The Pope’s planned encounter with abuse survivors is taking place against the background of a major reckoning over sexual abuse in the French Catholic Church.
Reuters reported ahead of the visit that Leo is expected to meet seven survivors in Lourdes. The meeting is being closely watched by survivors and advocacy groups seeking further changes in the Church’s handling of abuse allegations and reparations. (Reuters)
Lourdes becomes a focus of the abuse debate
Lourdes is one of the Catholic Church’s best-known pilgrimage destinations and attracts large numbers of visitors because of its association with the Marian apparitions reported in the 19th century.
According to Catholic tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old girl, at the Grotto of Massabielle in 1858.
Leo’s presence at the shrine therefore carries a strong religious significance for Catholics, while his planned meeting with survivors gives the visit an additional dimension.
The meeting is expected to remain private, with survivors able to speak directly to the Pope about their experiences.
France’s Catholic Church faces a painful legacy
The meeting comes five years after a landmark independent investigation into sexual abuse in the French Catholic Church.
The 2021 report by the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church, known by its French acronym CIASE, estimated that about 330,000 minors had been sexually abused within the Catholic Church’s broader sphere in France between 1950 and 2020. The estimate included abuse by clergy, religious figures and others working within Church institutions. (Reuters)
The findings triggered widespread discussion about accountability, institutional responsibility and compensation for survivors.
French Church authorities subsequently established mechanisms intended to recognise and compensate victims.
The Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation (INIRR) has processed claims from people who suffered abuse in Church settings. Associated reparations have included financial compensation as well as forms of recognition and support. (AP News)
Survivors want more than symbolic gestures
Survivors and advocacy groups have welcomed the Pope’s decision to meet victims while also calling for broader institutional action.
Some groups have questioned how participants in the Lourdes meeting were selected and whether a small private encounter can adequately represent the experiences of thousands of survivors. (AP News)
Reuters reported that survivors have called for deeper reforms, including changes to the way allegations are handled and greater consistency in the Church’s response to abuse cases. (Reuters)
The Vatican has previously made meetings with abuse survivors part of papal visits, making the Lourdes encounter part of a wider effort by Leo XIV to engage with people affected by the Church’s abuse crisis.
A major gathering at Lourdes
The Pope’s Sunday programme is centred on the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.
He is scheduled to meet members of the French Episcopal Conference at 9 a.m. before celebrating Mass at 11 a.m. on the sanctuary’s Prairie. Later, he will meet staff and sick people associated with Accueil Notre-Dame.
The day is due to end with a Rosary and torchlight procession at 9 p.m. (Vatican)
French authorities have prepared extensive security arrangements for the visit. The French Interior Ministry said a large turnout was expected, including about 150,000 people for Sunday’s Mass at Lourdes. (Ministère de l’Intérieur)
Paris drew huge crowds
Before travelling to Lourdes, Leo celebrated an open-air Mass in Paris on Saturday.
The French Interior Ministry said approximately 600,000 people were expected for the Mass at the Place de la Concorde and Champs-Élysées area. (Ministère de l’Intérieur)
His Paris programme also included a visit to Maison Bakhita, meetings at the Institut Catholique de Paris and engagements involving UNESCO and young people. (Vatican News)
Metz will be the final stop
Leo will leave Lourdes on Monday for Metz in northeastern France, close to the German border.
The final stage of the visit will focus heavily on Europe, peace and unity.
The Vatican programme includes an interreligious meeting and a gathering titled “To the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity” at the Robert Schuman Conference Centre. Leo will later celebrate Mass at Saint Stephen’s Cathedral before returning to Rome. (Vatican Press)
The choice of Metz has particular historical significance because of the city’s location near France’s German border and its association with Robert Schuman, one of the founding figures of European integration. (Vatican News)
A visit combining faith and difficult questions
Leo’s France trip is therefore combining traditional religious events with issues confronting the Catholic Church and wider European society.
Lourdes provides the setting for prayer, pilgrimage and the meeting with abuse survivors, while Metz gives the Pope an opportunity to address questions surrounding Europe, peace and unity.
For survivors of clerical abuse, however, the Lourdes meeting will be judged not only by its symbolism but also by whether it contributes to lasting changes in how allegations, accountability and reparations are handled.
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to leave France on Monday evening after completing his four-day apostolic journey.
