Pope Leo Heads to France as Church Faces Fallout From Abuse Crisis

Pope Leo will travel to France on Friday for a four-day, three-city visit, marking the first formal papal visit to the country in nearly 20 years. The trip comes five years after a major French report on child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, which found that about 330,000 children had been abused by clergy and lay Church officials over seven decades.

During his visit, Leo is expected to meet seven survivors of abuse in Lourdes and address the Church’s response to the scandal. He will also celebrate an outdoor Mass near Paris, where around 600,000 people have registered, and visit the restored Notre-Dame Cathedral.

The first US-born pope is also expected to discuss artificial intelligence, Europe’s future and peace. His itinerary includes meetings with French leaders, an address at UNESCO and a speech in Metz focused on Europe’s roots, peace and unity. The visit to Lourdes will also draw attention to allegations surrounding priest and artist Marko Rupnik, whose mosaics at the sanctuary have been ordered covered during the pope’s visit.

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