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Pope Leo XIV Concludes Four-Day Visit to France
Developing
In Short: Pope Leo XIV concluded his four-day visit to France with a call for European cooperation and peace, emphasizing the importance of reconciliation in Metz, a city that has changed hands between France and Germany through multiple wars.
In a speech at the Robert Schuman Conference Center, Pope Leo XIV warned of the return of war to Europe, describing it as a 'senseless slaughter' that claims countless civilian lives every day.
The pope's message to political leaders was a logical extension of the Christian obligation to turn toward and welcome one's neighbor. He argued that the institutions created out of past European experiences remain an antidote to the desire for domination.
French President Emmanuel Macron echoed the pope's sentiments, describing the region of Lorraine as a land 'wounded by history, disputed, conquered and reconquered,' but also the place where Franco-German reconciliation was built and became a cornerstone of European integration.
Pope Leo XIV also addressed the issue of nationalism and conflict, urging Europe to resist a return to these destructive forces and recommit itself to cooperation, dialogue, and peace.
Later in the day, Pope Leo visited the headquarters of UNESCO, where he is expected to address issues including artificial intelligence. He also celebrated Vespers with religious leaders at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The pope's visit to France included a prayer vigil with young people at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, a visit to the Maison Bakhita Centre for Social Support and Integration, and meetings with members of the Provincial Synodal Assembly, catechumens, and newly baptized Catholics at the Institut Catholique de Paris.
Pope Leo's final stop in France was at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, one of the world’s most prominent Catholic pilgrimage destinations, where he will spend Sunday.
What this adds
Pope Leo XIV's visit to France included a range of activities, from addressing political leaders to meeting with religious and community groups, emphasizing his message of peace and reconciliation.
Background
Pope Leo XIV, during his first speech in France, urged the country's leaders to protect life and denounced the use of science and technology for profit rather than moral and ethical progress.
Organizers and business owners in Lourdes are preparing for the influx of pilgrims. Caroline Trainor, a Lourdes organizer for Joe Walsh Tours, noted a significant increase in sign-ups since the announcement of the pope's visit.
What's still developing
- Today, people “boast of lies and deceit,” the pope said, but Europe’s experience has demonstrated that divergent interests do not have to end in conflict.
- Metz is particularly symbolic of the reconciliation Pope Leo held up.
- Annexed by Germany after the Franco-Prussian War, returned to France after World War I and annexed again by Nazi Germany during World War II, the city today sits near the heart of a region where national borders once divided populations repeatedly through war.
- But Pope Leo’s appeal for reconciliation in Metz extended beyond relations between governments.
- In the afternoon, the Pope will celebrate Vespers with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and seminarians at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.