Pope Leo XIV Visits Lourdes Pilgrimage Site in France
Pope Leo XIV concluded the second day of his France visit in Lourdes, praying at the Grotto of Massabielle. He is set to meet privately with seven clerical abuse survivors on Sunday.
Pope Leo XIV spent the second day of his visit to France in Lourdes, one of the Catholic Church's most significant pilgrimage destinations, where he prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle. This stop followed his earlier time in Paris.
With this visit, Leo XIV becomes the third pope to travel to Lourdes, following in the footsteps of Benedict XVI and John Paul II.
Meeting with abuse survivors planned
On Sunday, the pope is scheduled to lead another open-air mass. Afterward, he will hold a private meeting with seven people who survived sexual abuse by members of the clergy.
According to a French investigation, members of the Church abused an estimated 330,000 minors over the course of seven decades. This figure remains a central element in ongoing discussions about the Church's accountability in France.
The report on the pope's visit was prepared by journalist Catherine Viette.
