Pope Leo XIV admits Church abuse was 'systemic', vows accompaniment for victims

Pope Leo XIV acknowledged that sectors of the Catholic Church engaged in abusive behaviors 'as a system', marking a notable admission of institutional failure. He stressed the Church's special responsibility to accompany victims in healing their faith. This follows a 2021 French investigation estimating ~330,000 minors abused by clergy or laity since the mid-20th century, and signals continued institutional reckoning.