Moved by Pope Leo’s empathy, French abuse survivors urged action on ‘systemic’ failures

French clergy sexual abuse survivors met with Pope Leo XIV in Lourdes on September 27 to discuss institutional failures within the Church. Five of the seven survivors who participated in the meeting – Véronique Garnier, Olivier Mardi, Jérôme Guillement, Bertrand Virieux, and Jean-Marie Delbos – spoke at a press conference following the audience. Two other participants remained anonymous.

The Vatican stated the pope met with the four men and three women both individually and as a group to express closeness to those suffering from abuse. Jean-Marie Delbos, 80, who was abused as a child at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram boarding school, said the pope embraced him during their meeting.

Jérôme Guillement, who leads a survivors' panel for French Catholic schools, told reporters that the pope acknowledged the systemic nature of the crisis. Guillement urged the pope to prioritize prevention through cultural change rather than relying on training modules or procedures.