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Pope Leo heads to France as Church confronts shock of abuse crisis

World News

22-09-2026 | 03:09

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Pope Leo heads to France as Church confronts shock of abuse crisis

Pope Leo heads to France on Friday for the first formal visit by a pope in nearly 20 years, which Catholic leaders hope will repair the Church's standing after a crushing 2021 report on child abuse by priests sparked nationwide shock.

Leo, who will meet abuse survivors during the four-day trip, is also expected to draw large crowds for an outdoor Mass in central Paris and will address French, U.N. and European leaders in separate events on his whirlwind, three-city tour.

"Pope Leo's visit to France has sparked a real tidal wave" of interest, retired French Bishop Marc Stenger told Reuters. Some 600,000 people have registered to join the outdoor Mass on Saturday, near Paris' famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

"French Catholics are ... saying loudly that they need the Church to find their way in these uncertain moments in world history," said Stenger, citing the registration numbers.

Reuters

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