By Philip Phi
Posted Aug 21, 2026 at 11:11 PM
Pope Leo XIV is set to meet with survivors of clergy abuse during a four-day visit to France next month. This visit will include a stop at UNESCO headquarters, a meeting with French bishops in Lourdes, and an interreligious gathering in Metz. The Vatican has emphasized the involvement of abuse survivors in the planning of this meeting, underscoring a commitment to accountability and healing. Details on the timing and location of this meeting will be announced later.
This visit follows Pope Leo XIV’s recent engagement with six abuse survivors in Spain, where the Catholic Church has only recently begun addressing its history of abuse and cover-ups. In France, a 2021 report estimated that over 330,000 children were sexually abused by church personnel over 70 years, highlighting the urgent need for reconciliation and justice.
In a move demonstrating ongoing dedication to combating clergy sexual abuse, Pope Leo XIV appointed French Bishop Thibault Verny to lead the Vatican’s child protection advisory commission last month. This appointment signifies a continued effort to uphold justice and protect the vulnerable, aligning with the biblical call to “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
The pontiff’s visit to France, scheduled from September 25 to 28, marks his fourth foreign trip this year. His itinerary includes a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, where he will address various authorities and organizations. He will also deliver a speech at UNESCO headquarters and participate in a prayer vigil with young people at the national stadium, concluding the day with vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
This visit is part of a broader itinerary that includes Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to Latin America as pontiff in November, with planned visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. His commitment to addressing the legacy of abuse within the Church continues to be a focal point of his papacy, reflecting a dedication to truth, mercy, and justice.
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Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
