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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

French church abuse victims praise Pope Leo for 'extraordinary' empathy

Leo XIV Church France
Survivors of abuse by members of French clergy, (L-R) Véronique Garnier, Olivier Mardi, Jérôme Guillement, Bertrand Virieux, and Jean-Marie Delbos, during a press conference after their nearly two-hour meeting with Pope Leo in Lourdes, France, 27 September 2026.
Survivors of abuse by members of French clergy, (L-R) Véronique Garnier, Olivier Mardi, Jérôme Guillement, Bertrand Virieux, and Jean-Marie Delbos, during a press conference after their nearly two-hour meeting with Pope Leo in Lourdes, France, 27 September 2026. © Clotaire Achi/Reuters

French victims of clerical abuse called their meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Sunday "extraordinary", praising him for listening deeply to their experiences. The Pope said he was committed to preventing further harm.

Pope Leo has promised to further efforts to reform the Church in the wake of the global sexual abuse scandal, and on the third of a four-day visit to France he met privately in the pilgrimage city of Lourdes with seven adult victims of clerical abuse in France.

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