Pope Leo XIV begins historic 4-day visit to France
Pope Leo XIV has begun a four-day Apostolic Journey to France, marking the first papal visit since 2008, with a theme of "That the world may have life." The visit comes amidst a surge in adult baptisms in France, particularly among young people, and follows a major report on clergy abuse, with the Pope scheduled to meet privately with seven victims.
Why it matters
This visit is significant for the Catholic Church in France, aiming to address past scandals, foster healing, and engage with a growing interest in faith, while also allowing the Pope to speak on contemporary societal themes like immigration and AI ethics.
Pope Leo XIV began his visit to France on Friday for his fifth Apostolic Journey as Pontiff. The four-day trip marks the first formal papal visit to the country once called "the eldest daughter of the Church" since Pope Benedict XVI’s visit in September 2008. French bishops announced the visit’s theme as "That the world may have life," and it comes as the officially secular nation is seeing an influx of new baptisms. So far this year, according to the Conference of Bishops of France, more than 21,000 adults have joined the Church, an increase driven by 18 to 25-year-olds. "Pope Leo's visit to France has sparked a real tidal wave" of interest, retired French Bishop Marc Stenger told Reuters. "French Catholics are… saying loudly that they need the Church to find their way in these uncertain moments in world history."
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