Pope Leo has urged French Catholic bishops to root out the “scourge” of sexual abuse and remain highly vigilant. His warning came during a private meeting at Lourdes, ahead of a meeting with survivors, highlighting the Church’s continuing response to abuse allegations in France.

The 2021 inquiry found that about 330,000 people were abused as children by clergy or other Church members over seven decades. The Pope’s four-day visit has drawn enormous crowds, including an estimated 700,000 people in Paris, while French Catholicism faces declining regular attendance and fewer priests; however, adult baptisms have more than doubled in five years to 10,000 in 2025.