Pope Leo XIV to Address Life Issues in Secular France

Pope Leo XIV is set to visit France this weekend, with a message focused on the protection of human life, including at the shrine of Lourdes, a popular pilgrimage site for the sick. This visit occurs against a backdrop of significant legislative changes in France, which has enshrined abortion as a constitutional right and recently legalized assisted dying for adults with incurable illnesses.

The pontiff's planned themes align with Catholic teaching, which holds that life must be defended from conception until natural death. The official motto for the trip, "That the world may have life," suggests a focus on human life and dignity. Leo has previously emphasized safeguarding human dignity, particularly in his encyclical on artificial intelligence, where he called for robust regulation and a slowdown in AI development.

France, while historically Catholic, adheres to a strict form of secularism based on a 1905 law separating church and state. The influence of the Catholic Church has waned in the country amid secularization and scandals. However, organizers anticipate a large turnout for the Pope's visit, with projections suggesting up to 1 million people may see him.

Leo's visit to France follows a similarly well-received trip to Spain, where he addressed the Spanish Parliament and received a standing ovation. Like Spain, France has observed a trend of new adult baptisms, particularly among young adults attracted to more traditional forms of worship. The French bishops' conference reported a more than threefold increase in adult baptisms since 2016. The Pope is scheduled to meet with some of these new converts.

Leo's itinerary includes a visit to UNESCO to discuss artificial intelligence and the value of education and art. This address comes as the United States, under the Trump administration, has announced its withdrawal from the U.N. cultural agency, a move that contrasts with the Pope's emphasis on international cooperation. The pontiff will also visit Metz to participate in a European conference on peace, coinciding with ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and beyond.

In an unusual pre-visit announcement, the Vatican confirmed that Leo would meet with victims of clergy sexual abuse in France. This meeting acknowledges the evolving landscape of the abuse crisis within the church. The French church has been profoundly impacted by revelations of widespread abuse, with a 2021 report estimating hundreds of thousands of children were abused over several decades by thousands of priests and church workers. In response, French bishops have established an independent compensation system for victims.

The visit to Lourdes will also bring attention to a contentious abuse case involving artist Marko Rupnik, whose mosaics adorn several churches. Rupnik faces accusations of abuse from numerous women and is currently on trial in a Vatican court. In response to the allegations, the bishop of Lourdes decided to stop illuminating the facade of the Notre Dame du Rosaire Basilica at night and subsequently covered its mosaics, citing the impossibility of separating the artwork from the alleged abuses.