PARIS, France — About 2,000 people who reported suffering sexual abuse by Catholic Church personnel in France have sought reparations through an independent commission established to address decades of abuse within the institution.
The Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation (INIRR) disclosed the figures on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as it prepared to conclude its five-year mandate.
According to a report by The Associated Press, the commission has issued 1,184 decisions granting reparations, while hundreds of applications remain unresolved.
The figures come ahead of a papal visit during which the pontiff is expected to hold a private meeting with seven survivors of sexual abuse involving Catholic clergy and other Church personnel.
Commission Awards Compensation to Survivors
The INIRR was established following the publication of an independent investigation in 2021 that estimated that approximately 330,000 children had suffered sexual abuse by priests and other Church-associated individuals in France over seven decades.
The investigation also documented institutional failures in the handling of abuse allegations and called for the Church to comply with French law.
The French Catholic bishops subsequently established the reparations commission to respond to survivors seeking formal acknowledgement of their experiences and financial or other assistance.
According to the INIRR, successful applicants have received an average financial award of €36,892, equivalent to approximately $42,186.
Payments are administered through a dedicated fund financed by the Catholic Church.
The commission said that reparations were not confined to monetary awards.
Survivors could also receive psychological assistance and other forms of support intended to address the consequences of the abuse they experienced.
Among the measures requested by applicants were assistance in documenting their experiences, opportunities to meet Church representatives, and the installation of memorial plaques recognising victims.
The process also includes a formal letter acknowledging the abuse and specifying the financial award approved for each recipient.
Survivors Describe the Recognition Process
Cécile Reneaume, 34, who was sexually abused as a young child by the leader of a Catholic community, told the Associated Press that receiving formal acknowledgement from the Church had been an important part of the reparations process.
Her abuser has since died.
Reneaume said the commission’s letter confirmed that the Church accepted responsibility for specific failures connected to her abuse.
For Philippe Gomes, another survivor, the commission’s response provided an opportunity to discuss experiences of sexual abuse that he had previously found difficult to address.
Gomes said he was abused by two priests between the ages of seven and 12. He was 49 when he began recalling the abuse during a therapeutic hypnosis session in 2023.
He subsequently approached the INIRR and began receiving therapeutic support.
The commission reported that applicants who contacted it last year were, on average, 56 years old. Approximately two-thirds were men, while women accounted for the remaining third.
New Body to Continue Reparations Process
The INIRR stopped accepting new applications on August 31, following the completion of its scheduled mandate.
It received 183 new requests during 2026 and is continuing to assist people whose applications were submitted before the deadline.
The commission is expected to continue supporting existing applicants until the end of 2027.
A permanent organisation, the Independent National Body for the Support of Victims of Sexual Violence in the Church (INIAVE), was established on September 1 to provide continuing assistance and pursue restorative justice.
The new body will focus on longer-term support for survivors, including those seeking recognition and assistance after the closure of the original reparations programme.
Pope Leo XIV to Meet Abuse Survivors in France
The commission’s latest report was released ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s four-day visit to France, scheduled to begin on Friday.
The pontiff is expected to meet privately with seven survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and other Church personnel during his visit to Lourdes.
The meeting is scheduled for Sunday and will form part of a wider papal itinerary that includes engagements in Paris and Metz.
The visit follows years of investigations into sexual abuse within the French Catholic Church and the handling of allegations by Church authorities.
The independent inquiry published in 2021 estimated that approximately 330,000 children had been abused by clergy and other individuals associated with the Church over a 70-year period.
The INIRR’s latest figures concern people who approached the reparations programme and do not represent the total number of people estimated to have experienced abuse within the Church.
The commission’s remaining applications will continue to be processed as the new permanent organisation takes over responsibility for supporting survivors.
