Pope Leo XIV led a prayer at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France on September 27, 2026. This visit followed an emotional open-air mass in Paris, where hundreds of thousands of worshippers gathered. The Pope rode along the Champs Elysées in the popemobile before the mass. He is on a four-day trip to France, a secular country with deep Catholic roots, marking the first official papal visit in nearly two decades.
The Pope prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle, where Catholic tradition holds that the Virgin Mary appeared in 1858 to a peasant girl, later Saint Bernadette. He prayed to the Virgin Mary to "obtain for France wise and generous leaders ... eager to serve the common good". The Pope asked that France's leaders promote the defence of fundamental human rights and peace in the world.
At the Grotto, the Pope performed rituals observed by many pilgrims, including touching the rock, lighting a candle, and drinking spring water. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the most important Catholic holy sites in the world, receiving around three million pilgrims annually. Catholics credit the site with miraculous healings.
On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV will meet privately with seven victims of clerical sex abuse. A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 people as minors in France over seven decades. This meeting occurs seven months before France's presidential election, where a number of hopefuls were present at the mass, including far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Édouard Philippe.
President Emmanuel Macron did not attend the mass but was represented by his wife Brigitte. Macron stated that France was "proud to welcome Pope Leo XIV and this monumental mass in the heart of Paris". Earlier in the day, the Pope met migrants at Maison Bakhita, an association supporting refugees, stressing the possibility of living together in dignity and peace.
The Pope also emphasized the "fundamental role of women in building a civilisation of love". The association noted that the Pope's visit sent a "message" ahead of the April-May election. Thousands of faithful watched his arrival at the site on giant screens, marking a significant event in France.
The visit to Lourdes concludes the Pope's four-day trip to France, which aimed to promote unity and peace in a country with a complex relationship with the Catholic Church. The Pope's message of love, peace, and human rights resonated with the French people, who gathered in large numbers to witness his visit.
Key points
- The Pope prayed for France's leaders to promote human rights and peace.
- The Pope met with victims of clerical sex abuse on Sunday.
- The Pope emphasized the role of women in building a civilisation of love.
