Before Asking Survivors to Forgive, What Must a Church Do?

Reported news · a scheduled meeting

The news: a meeting still to come

In a September 22 Associated Press report, Sylvie Corbet wrote that Pope Leo XIV plans to meet seven abuse survivors privately in Lourdes on Sunday, September 27, during his September 25–28 visit to France. Some survivor organizations question the selection of individuals rather than group representatives. Participants say attending does not mean giving up their demands; they do not claim to represent every survivor. France's Catholic Church already has an independent compensation system. As of this article's September 24 source check (UTC), the meeting has not happened. Its outcome remains unknown.

That planned encounter invites a wider question. How can listening lead to accountable action?

Sources: Pope Leo XIV will meet with the French abuse survivors as critics demand action

Scripture observation and editorial application · Luke 19:1–10

Read Luke 19: the responsibility Zacchaeus names

Scripture observation — paraphrase: In Luke 19:1–10, Jesus encounters Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector in Jericho. Jesus calls to him and says he will stay at his house. Zacchaeus welcomes him, while others complain about Jesus being a sinner's guest.

Then Zacchaeus speaks about his possessions: half for the poor, and fourfold repayment if he has cheated anyone. Jesus announces salvation in that household and describes his mission of seeking and saving the lost.

Notice the order. Jesus approaches Zacchaeus before the repayment pledge. The passage does not describe a transaction in which Zacchaeus buys salvation. It also gives concrete attention to money and anyone he has cheated. Welcome and responsibility appear within the same encounter.

Editorial application: Restitution means trying to put right what someone has wrongfully taken or damaged. Here, Zacchaeus names a costly action himself. The story gives us reason to ask whether expressions of repentance—turning away from wrongdoing—are accompanied by practical change. It does not make the injured person's response the first task.

Sources: Luke 19:1–10, Berean Standard Bible

Limits of the comparison · survivor safety

Where this comparison stops

The financial wrongdoing addressed by Zacchaeus's pledge is not equivalent to sexual abuse. Money cannot undo abuse, recover lost years, or purchase a survivor's forgiveness. His fourfold pledge is not a universal compensation formula. Luke 19 does not provide a modern safeguarding policy or tell us how an abuse investigation should proceed.

Nor does Jesus entering Zacchaeus's home require a survivor to meet an abuser. That would place a burden on the harmed person that this passage does not impose. The useful question concerns the responsibility of people who have done wrong and institutions responding to harm: What concrete action follows their words?

Sources: Luke 19:1–10, Berean Standard Bible · How To TALK With Survivors of Sexual Violence

Scripture observation and editorial application · Mark 10:35–45

Read Mark 10: authority takes the form of service

Scripture observation — paraphrase: In Mark 10:35–45, James and John ask for places of honor beside Jesus. The other disciples become angry. Jesus addresses the group, rejecting the pattern of rulers dominating others. He describes greatness among his followers through service and points to his own life given for others.

Editorial application: Applied to a church's response to abuse, this challenges leaders to use their authority for people's welfare. A leader's standing cannot be the measure of whether a response succeeds. The people facing the greatest cost should be able to ask what has changed, who can scrutinize it, and who will act if the church fails again.

Sources: Mark 10:35–45, Berean Standard Bible

Editorial application · practical questions

Questions a church should be ready to answer

These are practical accountability questions, not a claim that two passages supply a complete policy:

Is there a clear route to help outside the implicated leadership? Can people find independent safeguarding support and reporting options without having to approach the person or institution they fear?

Who checks that protective measures actually happen? Who has authority to investigate concerns, address failures, and explain the next steps?

What choices do survivors retain? Can they decline meetings, bring support, choose how much to share, and refuse publicity? Is help available without a demand for public gratitude?

What follows an acknowledgment of harm? Are commitments specific enough to assess? Who is responsible, and when will progress be reviewed?

Can a person remain distant and still receive care? Support should not depend on renewed contact with an abuser, a forgiveness deadline, reconciliation, or restored trust.

RAINN's guidance on supporting survivors emphasizes listening without judgment, asking what would help, respecting choices, and continuing support. It warns against pressuring survivors to report to police or undergo an examination, and against setting a timetable for recovery. These are principles for supportive conversations; institutional safeguarding responsibilities need qualified guidance.

A presentation hosted by the National Council of Churches in Australia also cautions carers against taking responsibility for making a survivor forgive. This is a particular pastoral resource, not a statement settling every Christian tradition's teaching on forgiveness.

Churches can discuss forgiveness thoughtfully without making a survivor's spiritual response a condition of safety or care. Accountability must not wait for that response.

Sources: Luke 19:1–10, Berean Standard Bible · Mark 10:35–45, Berean Standard Bible · How To TALK With Survivors of Sexual Violence · Forgiveness and Reconciliation for Survivors of Sexual Abuse

Optional practice and prayer · care without pressure

A small next step

If you belong to a church, one useful step is to find its safeguarding contact and independent support routes before a crisis. If someone confides in you, listen without interrogating them and ask what support they want. An adult survivor's choices deserve respect. Qualified local support can help explain available options.

If this is part of your own story, you do not have to demonstrate forgiveness here, contact the person who harmed you, or tell Bibleward what happened. You may seek support beyond the institution involved. If you are in immediate danger, contact local emergency help.

Optional prayer: God of truth and mercy, give those harmed room to speak or remain quiet. Give those responsible courage to face what they have done. Help our communities practice patient care and honest accountability. Amen.

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Sources: How To TALK With Survivors of Sexual Violence · Forgiveness and Reconciliation for Survivors of Sexual Abuse · Bibleward editorial method