Pope Leo at Lourdes: ‘The Church Must Have the Courage to Begin With Herself’ | SG News
Pope Leo XIV has delivered one of the strongest calls for repentance of his Apostolic Journey to France, telling the Catholic Church that true conversion must begin within herself. Speaking before an estimated 150,000 pilgrims at Lourdes on September 27, the Pope reflected on penance, conversion and the wounds caused by sin. His message came only hours before a scheduled private meeting with survivors of sexual abuse in the French Church. Pope Leo told the enormous congregation: “This call to conversion also concerns the Church herself as she makes her earthly journey. She must have the courage to begin with herself.” He continued: “In order to heal the deep wounds, infidelities and painful errors that have occurred within her, we must humbly place ourselves under the Lord’s purifying gaze.” The Holy Father did not explicitly mention the French abuse crisis during this section of the homily. But the …More