Pope Francis to Visit Lourdes Amid Vatican Scandal and Abuse Survivor Meetings
The pontiff's trip to the famous French pilgrimage site will include prayers, Mass, and meetings with bishops and abuse survivors, while controversial mosaics will be covered.
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France this weekend, marking the first official papal state visit to the country in 18 years. The visit, part of a four-day apostolic journey, will include prayers at the Grotto of the Apparitions, celebrating Mass, and meeting with bishops and survivors of sexual abuse.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of Catholicism’s most significant pilgrimage sites, drawing approximately 3 million visitors annually, including around 60,000 sick and disabled pilgrims. The site's popularity stems from the reported visions of the Virgin Mary by Bernadette Soubirous between February and July 1858. The Catholic Church officially recognized these visions as apparitions in 1862. Following Soubirous's direction to drink from a spring in the grotto, the site became known for its waters, which, despite having no specific therapeutic properties, are believed by many to have healing powers. The sanctuary encompasses 22 sites, including three basilicas and the baths where pilgrims immerse themselves in the spring water.
While millions seek spiritual and physical healing at Lourdes, the Catholic Church has officially recognized 72 miracles out of over 7,000 examined cases since 1858. The town of Lourdes itself, with fewer than 15,000 residents, possesses a hotel capacity second only to Paris in France, a necessity given the influx of pilgrims. The pope's visit is expected to further drive up accommodation prices.
The visit also brings attention to ongoing issues within the Catholic Church. Mosaics on the façade of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, created by Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, a Slovenian artist facing accusations of sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse, will be covered during the pope's visit. This decision follows a trend of no longer illuminating the mosaics during evening prayer and covering those on the basilica's entrance doors.
Pope Francis is also scheduled to meet with seven survivors of sexual abuse who were assaulted as children or adults. This meeting occurs in the context of a 2021 report estimating that 330,000 children had been sexually abused by church personnel in France over 70 years.
The pope's itinerary includes landing at Tarbes airport on Saturday, followed by a prayer at the Grotto. Sunday will feature a meeting with the bishops of the French Bishops’ Conference, Mass on the Prairie, the Angelus prayer, a meeting with staff and sick individuals at the Accueil Notre-Dame, and concluding with the traditional Rosary and torchlight procession.