Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, arrived in Paris on Friday to start his four-day trip to France. The visit, the first papal state visit since 2008, is being billed as a homecoming for the Chicago-born pontiff, whose grandmother left Normandy, in northern France, over a century ago to build a life in the US. During his trip, Pope Leo will participate in popemobile parades, an open-air Mass on the Champs-Élysées, and a visit to the Sanctuary of Lourdes.
Pope Leo has strong family ties to France, with his surname Prevost originating from his French great-grandmother on his father's side, who was born in Normandy. According to the genealogy website Geneanet, the Pope is 40 percent French, with roots on both his father's and mother's sides tracing back to France. A French birth certificate drawn up in Le Havre states that Leo's grandmother, Suzanne Louise Marie Fontaine, was born on February 2, 1894, in Normandy. She emigrated to the United States in 1915 and later gave birth to Louis Marius Prevost, the future pope's father.
Pope Leo's father, Louis Marius Prevost, served in the US Navy during World War II and participated in the D-Day landings in Normandy in June 1944. He also took part in the Provence landings a few weeks later and attained the rank of lieutenant by the end of the war. The future pope's uncle, Jean Prévost, taught French and published a study on Dandyism in France between 1817 and 1839. However, the French culture was not passed on to the following generation, and Pope Leo's French is reportedly quite poor.
Despite his limited French language skills, Pope Leo has shown great interest in his family history since becoming pope. He has met with American historian Robert Louis Gates to better understand his genealogy and has expressed a desire to learn more about his grandfather's origins. According to Christopher White, associate director at Georgetown University's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Pope Leo has French connections on both sides of his family tree.
During his stay in Paris, Pope Leo will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world. The site holds a special place in the hearts of all popes, and Pope Leo has visited Lourdes twice on pilgrimage, at the ages of 19 and 29. He will also visit Metz in eastern Lorraine, the home region of a 17th-century monk, Lawrence of the Resurrection, who is one of his spiritual mentors.
Pope Leo's spiritual ties with French Catholic figures run deep, and he has expressed admiration for the writings of Lawrence of the Resurrection, whose book "The Practice of the Presence of God" he recently described as his bedside reading. The pope will visit the Carmelite monastery where Lawrence lived, now the site of the Catholic Institute of Paris. He will also meet with other faith leaders and plead for peace in Europe.
The visit comes at a time when France is at odds with Catholic views on abortion and euthanasia. Despite this, Pope Leo's trip is seen as an opportunity for him to connect with his French heritage and strengthen ties with the French Catholic community. The trip is expected to be a significant event in the Pope's schedule, and he will use the occasion to encourage French Catholics to delve into their religious history and find inspiration for "a new missionary impetus".
Key points
- Pope Leo XIV is 40 percent French, with roots tracing back to Normandy and other parts of France.
- The Pope will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Carmelite monastery where Lawrence of the Resurrection lived.
- Pope Leo's trip to France is seen as a homecoming, with his grandmother having left Normandy over a century ago to build a life in the US.
