PARIS (FRANCE)
DW News (Deutsche Welle) [Bonn, Germany]
September 25, 2026
By Philippe Chemineau and Christine Mhundwa
Pope Leo is in France for several days, in the first formal papal visit to the nation in nearly 20 years. One of his stops is to meet with child survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests.
[Photo above: A still from this brief, important video of Philippe Chemineau speaking about his abuse as a boy in confession at a La Salle school outside Paris. Chemineau describes the priest’s use of sexual questions, his manipulation of the confessional space, and the use of child abuse images in confession. Chemineau believes a change in French law regarding the seal of confession is necessary.]
For survivors of clerical sexual abuse in France, Pope Leo‘s visit is a reminder of one of the Catholic Church‘s deepest crises.
Philippe Chemineau said he was abused by a priest as a child, and argues that the secrecy surrounding confession helped enable abuse.
As the pope meets with a small group of survivors during his visit, the debate over how the Catholic Church should confront past abuses and protect children remains far from settled.