Pope Leo XIV concludes official visit to France

Pope Leo XIV concluded his official visit to France with a series of significant religious and social engagements. During his time at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Pope participated in massive public events, including a candlelit procession and a Rosary prayer attended by thousands of pilgrims. In a major mass, he addressed approximately 150,000 people, calling for collective penitence and condemning global conflicts and the devaluation of human life.

A central component of the visit involved the Pope meeting privately with seven survivors of clerical sexual abuse. During these individual and group sessions, the Pope listened to their testimonies and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring such abuses do not recur. He urged French bishops to continue their fight against the scourge of abuse, noting the systemic nature of the issue within the institution.

The Pope's itinerary also included high-level diplomatic and social activities, such as discussions on the ethics of artificial intelligence at UNESCO and an interreligious meeting in Metz focused on peace and the ‘Llamamiento de Metz’. His visit concluded with a large gathering in Paris and a final mass in Metz, marking his first official trip to the country in nearly two decades.