By Philip Phi
Posted Aug 14, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Pope Leo XIV is set to meet with survivors of clergy abuse during a four-day trip 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 that the survivors themselves will play a role in preparing for this meeting, with details on timing and location to be announced later.
This meeting follows Pope Leo’s recent engagement with six abuse survivors during his visit to Spain, where the Catholic Church is confronting its history of abuse and cover-ups. In France, a 2021 report estimated that 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by church personnel. Demonstrating his commitment to addressing this issue, Pope Leo recently appointed French Bishop Thibault Verny to lead the Vatican’s child protection advisory commission.
The trip, scheduled from September 25-28, marks Pope Leo’s fourth international journey this year. His itinerary includes a visit to Paris, where he will meet with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace. There, he will address authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps, followed by a speech at UNESCO headquarters. The day will conclude with a prayer vigil with young people at the national stadium.
On the second day, Pope Leo will focus on social inclusion and active participation, visiting the Maison Bakhita center for social support and integration. He will also meet with a synodal assembly to discuss involving laypeople in church matters and engage with recently baptized Catholics. The day will end with a visit to Lourdes, where he will pray at the Grotto of the Apparitions and participate in the Rosary and torchlight procession.
The visit concludes in Metz, near the Luxembourg and German border, for an interreligious meeting at a conference center named after Robert Schuman, a key figure in European integration. This trip underscores a commitment to justice and accountability, echoing the biblical call to act justly and love mercy (Micah 6:8). As Pope Leo continues his efforts to address these critical issues, the Church seeks to embody the principles of truth, repentance, and care for victims, fostering peace and neighbor-love in the process.
Source: Read the original report
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.
