Pope Leo Visits France
Pope Leo has recently completed a historic four-day pilgrimage to France - the first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades. Drawn by invitations from the state, the Church, and UNESCO, he brought a simple yet profound message derived from the Gospel of John: “That the world may have life”.
The Pope's trip began in Saint-Denis, a vibrant, diverse, and working-class community just outside Paris. Inside the packed Stade de France, 80,000 young people gathered for an evening prayer vigil. Speaking in French, Pope Leo spoke directly to their desire for freedom and purpose. Reminding them of Blessed Marcel Callo - a young French hero who preserved his inner spiritual freedom even in the dark depths of a Nazi concentration camp - the Pope offered a golden compass for their lives: “To make the right choices, remember this principle: The good gives life; it never takes it away”.
By the next morning, the heart of Paris had transformed into an open-air cathedral. A crowd of nearly 800,000 people filled the Champs-Élysées, stretching all the way from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. In his homily, Pope Leo asked the country to look past material pursuits and examine its deepest spiritual hunger. Pointing to Christ as the true source of living water, he urged Parisians not to keep their faith hidden, but to let it overflow across the nation to refresh everyone they meet.
From Paris, the pilgrimage turned south-west toward the quiet sanctuary of Lourdes. At the sacred grotto, the Pope knelt in silent contemplation, touched the ancient rock, lit a candle, and drank from the miraculous spring. Here, among the suffering and frail, his message on human life reached its most passionate peak. Rejecting assisted suicide and the selective abortion of disabled embryos, he firmly declared that medicine must never become the servant of "programmed death". Turning to those carrying the weight of illness and old age, he offered deeply tender words of reassurance: “You are not a burden. You are the beating heart of our humanity and a precious treasure for the Church”.
The trip was not only about celebration; it was also a moment for profound healing and truth. Away from the massive crowds, Pope Leo met privately with seven survivors of clerical sexual abuse. Listening intently to their individual accounts, he offered quiet prayers, expressed deep gratitude for their painful testimonies, and reaffirmed his absolute commitment to protecting the vulnerable. Meeting with the French bishops afterward, he commended their courageous steps toward justice and accountability, urging them never to relax their vigilance.
As the pilgrimage drew to a close, Pope Leo looked toward the future of the continent. Setting off for the north-eastern city of Metz - the birthplace of Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of European unity - he prepared to meet with European leaders to reflect on peace, reconciliation, and the enduring value of human dignity.
Video highlights from Pope Leo’s pilgrimage are given below.