Pope sends message to French Bishops attending plenary assembly

In the message signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, the Pope encourages the Bishops to persevere in the fight against pedophilia, urging them to continue in their implementation of a “zero tolerance” stance against sexual abuse committed by certain members of the Church, without ever forgetting, he says, “to recognize and support the humble fidelity lived in daily life, with the grace of God, by so many priests, men and women religious, consecrated and lay faithful.” He also stresses the importance of listening to the victims whose wounds, he adds, will never be healed by a prescription.

Turning his attention to the youth of the country, the Pope in the message offers his thanks for all that the Church in France “has already accomplished in the service of accompanying and evangelizing young people, especially within Catholic education.”

In this spirit, Pope Francis invites the Bishops to invoke the Holy Spirit strongly so that the work of the recent Synod may contribute, in France and in the world, to opening "new paths of harmony with the expectations of young people and with the search for a deep spirituality and a more concrete sense of belonging"

Finally, the Pope encourages the Bishops to promote a culture of encounter within French society and entrusts the Bishops of France, as well as their collaborators and dioceses, to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette.