As Macron meets Pope Francis, abuse victims urge swifter reparations

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting at the Vatican, November 26, 2021. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS

PARIS (Reuters) - A group of victims of sexual abuse says the Catholic church is reacting too slowly to a report revealing assaults by French clergy on more than 200,000 children, and is urging President Emmanuel Macron to raise the issue directly with Pope Francis on Monday.

Macron is meeting the pontiff in the Vatican a year after a 2,500 page report by the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse detailed how the church repeatedly silenced victims and failed to discipline the clergy involved.