VATICAN CITY— Pope Leo XIV will meet survivors of clergy sexual abuse during his official visit to France next month, the Vatican said on Friday, placing the encounter at the center of a four-day trip that will also include meetings with French political leaders, religious events and public addresses.
The Holy See said the private meeting would take place during the pontiff's Sept. 25-28 visit to France, adding that survivors themselves would help prepare the encounter. Vatican officials did not disclose the location, the number of participants or other details, citing respect for the privacy of those involved.
The announcement comes as Pope Leo continues to emphasize the Catholic Church's response to clergy abuse, an issue that has remained one of the most sensitive challenges facing the Vatican. Since his election, Leo has repeatedly called for greater accountability, stronger safeguarding measures and closer engagement with victims and survivors.
According to the Vatican, the French itinerary will include a state visit to Paris, talks with President Emmanuel Macron, an address at UNESCO headquarters, a prayer vigil at the Stade de France, and visits to Lourdes and Metz.
In Paris, the pope is also scheduled to visit a social assistance center and meet newly baptized Catholics and lay faithful involved in church governance. In Lourdes, one of the world's best-known Catholic pilgrimage sites, he is due to pray with pilgrims, meet sick faithful and lead a rosary procession before traveling to Metz for an interfaith gathering honoring Robert Schuman, one of the architects of European integration.
The meeting with abuse survivors follows similar encounters held by Leo during his visit to Spain in June. The Vatican said at the time that the pope listened to survivors' experiences and proposals for improving the Church's response to abuse and reaffirmed his commitment to making Catholic institutions safer. Some survivor advocacy groups, however, criticized that meeting, arguing that not all victims were represented and calling for broader reforms and stronger accountability.
France has faced years of scrutiny over abuse within the Catholic Church. A landmark independent commission reported in 2021 that an estimated 330,000 children had been sexually abused by clergy or lay Church personnel over several decades, prompting extensive safeguarding reforms by the French Church. Pope Leo has previously urged France's bishops to continue listening to victims, strengthen prevention efforts and remain committed to confronting abuse.
The Vatican said further details of the survivors' meeting would be released only if appropriate after the encounter, in accordance with the wishes and privacy of those taking part.
