Pope Leo has called on French bishops to root out the “scourge” of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church and maintain the highest level of vigilance in protecting children.
The Pope delivered the message during a private meeting with senior French bishops at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France, on the third day of his four-day official visit to the country.
Addressing the bishops, Pope Leo said they had confronted cases of abuse involving minors committed by members of the clergy or within church settings.
“You have faced with determination the painful scourge of abuse of minors committed by members of the clergy or within an ecclesial context,” he said.
“It is important to persevere along the path you have begun, maintaining the greatest vigilance.”
The meeting was held behind closed doors, with the Pope’s remarks later released to reporters.
A 2021 inquiry found that clergy and lay members of the Catholic Church had abused about 330,000 people as children in France over a period of 70 years.
Pope Leo also celebrated Mass in Lourdes in front of thousands of worshippers before holding a private meeting with survivors of sexual abuse.
His visit has drawn large crowds across France. On Saturday, an estimated 700,000 people gathered at the Place de la Concorde in Paris to hear him speak.
The Pope travelled through the French capital in an open-topped popemobile, greeting crowds along the Champs-Élysées Avenue.
During his Mass in Paris, Pope Leo urged Catholics not to keep their faith to themselves, but to share it with others.
He also addressed young people, describing them as “today’s Church” and praising their enthusiasm and commitment to Christian communities.
France has experienced a long-term decline in religious participation. Regular Catholic worshippers have fallen from about 35 percent of the population in 1960 to less than five percent today.
The number of priests has also declined sharply, from about 25,000 in 1990 to fewer than 9,000.
However, there have been signs of renewed interest in some Catholic traditions, with adult baptisms more than doubling over five years to reach about 10,000 in 2025.
Later on Sunday, Pope Leo is scheduled to meet staff and residents at a health facility in Lourdes before taking part in a torchlight procession in the evening.
The visit is Pope Leo’s first official trip to France since he was elected leader of the Roman Catholic Church in May 2025.