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Abuse victims in Lourdes: ‘Pope listened deeply, was pained by our stories’
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- Sep 28, 2026, 9:03 AM UTC
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Commune in Occitania, France
Lourdes is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a fortified castle that rises up from a rocky escarpment at its center.
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After meeting for two hours with Pope Leo XIV in Lourdes, seven survivors of clerical sexual abuse speak to the press about their experiences and the ...
French survivors of clergy sexual abuse who met with Pope Leo XIV in Lourdes said they were struck by the pontiff's deep personal empathy and his frank acknowledgment of the institutional failures that allowed the crisis to fester within the Church.
French survivors of clergy sexual abuse who met Pope Leo XIV in Lourdes on 27 September said the pontiff showed deep personal empathy and openly acknowledged the church’s systemic failures in addressing abuse.