Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Lourdes for the second stage of his four-day visit to France, following an outdoor Mass in Paris attended by an estimated 800,000 people. The visit combines public worship with meetings focused on the Catholic Church’s future in a secularising country and its response to clerical sexual abuse.
The pope landed at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées International Airport on Saturday evening and went directly to the Grotto of the Apparitions, where Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Lourdes is one of the world’s most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites.
Pope Leo XIV begins Lourdes pilgrimage
Leo opened the Lourdes leg of his France visit with a prayer at the grotto. His programme on Sunday includes meetings with French bishops, an outdoor Mass in the sanctuary’s Prairie and the Angelus prayer.
The pope is also scheduled to visit the Accueil Notre-Dame, a facility serving sick and disabled pilgrims, and meet privately with contemplative religious sisters. The visit will conclude with a Rosary and torchlight procession, one of Lourdes’ best-known devotional ceremonies.
Meeting with abuse survivors
A closely watched part of the programme will be a private meeting with seven survivors of sexual abuse committed by priests and other Catholic personnel. The encounter is expected to draw scrutiny from campaigners who argue that the Church has not done enough to confront abuse and protect victims.
Some survivors’ organisations have questioned the decision to meet individuals rather than representatives of established advocacy groups. The meeting nevertheless places the issue on the public agenda during a major papal visit.
Paris Mass draws an estimated 800,000 people
Leo’s arrival in Lourdes followed around 32 hours in Paris, where he travelled through the capital in the popemobile, visited UNESCO headquarters and celebrated an open-air Mass at Place de la Concorde.
Organisers had expected approximately 600,000 people who registered in advance. The Vatican estimated that the actual attendance reached about 800,000. Around 2,400 priests and deacons and roughly 100 bishops participated in the service.
- The Mass took place at Place de la Concorde.
- The Vatican’s estimated attendance was about 800,000.
- A security perimeter stretched from the square towards the Arc de Triomphe.
- Metro stations along the route were closed during the pope’s procession.
Crowds gathered along the Champs-Élysées as the pope travelled towards the square. Supporters chanted his name, while parents raised children towards the popemobile as Leo reached out to people along the route.
In his homily, the pope encouraged Catholics not to keep their faith entirely private. He urged believers to make their faith visible in ways that could offer comfort to others.
A public test for Catholicism in France
The visit comes as France experiences a long-term decline in traditional religious practice. Leo’s public appearances have therefore been interpreted as an effort to encourage French Catholics while also acknowledging the changing nature of belief in the country.
On Friday, he visited the recently restored Notre-Dame Cathedral, marking the first papal visit there since the 2019 fire that severely damaged the building.
Speaking at the Catholic Institute of Paris, Leo highlighted the growth in adult conversions to Catholicism. He described the trend as a small but resilient sign of life that should be protected.
Adult baptisms in France have reportedly risen to about 13,000 this year, nearly three times the level recorded in 2016. That increase has not reversed the broader decline in baptisms: France recorded 513,000 baptisms in 1980, compared with 186,000 in 2024.
Large crowds extend beyond regular worshippers
The scale of the Paris gathering reflected more than routine church attendance. Organisers said many participants were not practising Catholics but had come to see the pope and take part in a major public event.
The atmosphere was compared by observers with other large celebrations on the Champs-Élysées, including the public gatherings that followed France’s football World Cup victories in 1998 and 2018.
What happens next in Lourdes?
Pope Leo’s Lourdes programme will focus on worship, pastoral meetings and contact with people who are sick or vulnerable. The scheduled meeting with abuse survivors will also be an important test of how the Vatican addresses demands for accountability.
French President Emmanuel Macron did not attend the Paris Mass and is not expected to attend any of the pope’s Masses during the visit. First Lady Brigitte Macron attended Saturday’s service, alongside Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
Conclusion
Pope Leo XIV’s arrival in Lourdes follows a major public gathering in Paris and brings his France visit into a more explicitly pilgrimage-focused phase. The combination of religious celebrations, outreach to sick people and a meeting with abuse survivors means the Lourdes programme will be watched both by Catholic communities and by critics seeking stronger action from the Church.
