Pope Leo in Lourdes: The Church must heal her ‘wounds, infidelities, and painful errors’

Pope Leo XIV called for repentance and penance during a Mass at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes on Sunday, Sept. 27. Addressing approximately 150,000 pilgrims, the pope said the Church must have the courage to recognize its own faults, infidelities, and errors to achieve spiritual growth and healing.

The Mass took place on a prairie across the Gave de Pau river from the grotto of the apparitions. This visit to Lourdes is the third day of the pope's trip to France, which runs from Sept. 25 to Sept. 28.

Later on Sunday, the pope is scheduled to meet privately with seven victims of clerical sexual abuse in France. The local bishop stated that mosaics by Father Marko Rupnik, an accused sexual abuser currently on trial at the Vatican, were covered at the Basilica of the Rosary ahead of the visit and will remain covered indefinitely.