FranceThe French child protection organization Mouv'Enfants has filed a legal challenge with the Paris administrative court to cancel Pope Leo XIV's mass scheduled at Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées in September 2026. The group argues that holding such a high-profile event without considering the hundreds of thousands of victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church violates their dignity and constitutes a failure to uphold public order. Mouv'Enfants cites the findings of the independent commission Ciase, which estimated around 216,000 minors were sexually abused by clergy between 1950 and 2020, with the number rising to approximately 330,000 when including abuses by laypeople working in church institutions. The organization emphasizes that its actions do not target believers or freedom of worship but focus solely on ensuring victims' voices are heard in major public decisions.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the issue through the lens of victim rights and social justice, emphasizing the moral responsibility of authorities to consider historical abuses when authorizing large-scale religious events. The tone highlights systemic failures within the Church and advocates for accountability
